Have We Lost?
by SaigeDarklyn
Summary: Mizure Akane is part of a mysterious organization. Her past is cloudy and she doesn't really care to revisit it. But when she's ordered to form an alliance with the Hidden Leaf, all kinds of memories she'd long since forgotten come bubbling up to the surface.
1. Bonds

**Hiya! So, this is going to follow the original story plot, starting with the Chunin exams. I'm only changing it slightly by adding an OC. Speaking of which, I only own Mizure and her supporting characters, not any of the original 'Naruto' characters. If I did...Sakura probably would've died before she got the chance to become useful o.o But anyways, yes there will be romance, no it will not be with any major characters (Naruto, Sasuke) because that would be changing the story plot too much. Was thinking she ****_might_**** have a fling of some sort with Naruto, but in the end it will amount to nothing. Probably. If there's a specific character you want to see her end up with, tell me!**

"Your mission is to form a bond."  
Mizure Akane glanced up from her kneeling position to eye her Sensei warily. "A bond?" she asked incredulously.  
"It's important to earn the trust of the Five Great Nations. We start with the Hidden Leaf, heart of the Land of Fire," the woman explained.  
Mizure sighed, resigned. She knew she wouldn't be given any more information. She was capable for the young age of 12 (and a half), which might give hint as to why such an important mission was entrusted to her. 'That, or they don't want to lose any significantly skilled ninja,' she supposed dryly.  
Her Sensei frowned, as if sensing her thoughts. "For this particular mission, you will be put into a 3 man squad led by Iratai."  
Mizure closed her eyes, feeling a headache already coming on. Half the time Iratai didn't even make sense. He was an old, senile man who should have retired ages ago but, then again, they were pretty short handed..."Very well, I suppose I can find a way to force that in my favor," she said.  
"And the other two on your squad will be..." the woman's words were interrupted when the doors suddenly flew open, almost blowing the candles out, temporarily embracing them in darkness.  
As the lights flickered back to life, a feeling of dread overtook Mizure when she saw her future 'team mates.' "Certainly not..._them_!" she cried.  
In front of her were two boys, giving eachother sour looks. The first, who was a year older than herself, was Tamake Yagamura. From what she'd heard of him he was a ladies man, and very passionate about his beliefs. The second was Rue Hagashi, who was a year older than the first. Seemingly indifferent with messy black hair and emotionless black eyes, not many people apprached him. Both were fine Shinobi alone, she'd heard of the numerous successful missions at the hands of the two. There was only one problem. It was well known that the two hated eachother, and were constantly arguing when together. "Yes, those two. They're ideal for the job, with Rue being a natural genius and Tamake having such impressive charisma," her Sensei tried to reason.  
"Okay...but why put them _together_?" she inquired.  
Her teacher only sighed. "Just deal with it. You'd be a Genin back in your village right now wouldn't you? It's time to grow up," she was told firmly.  
Mizure lowered her head meekly. "Yes Sensei," she muttered.  
"The reason you are here...well, you know why. Just in case." She nodded, standing and walking over to her current team mates.  
"I'm Mizure Akane, and it looks like we'll be working together on this mission together," she introduced herself shaking each of their hands.  
"Akane huh? I've heard that name before, I'm sure. Well, whatever. My name's Tamake," the first said, flipping wispy brown hair away from amber eyes.  
She tried to seem nonchalant about it, but the heat of the blush creeping up her neck let her know she was failing at that. She focused her attention instead on the second boy. "I'm Rue," he stated, and left it at that.  
"Uh...right," she started, turning back towards her teacher. "When do we leave?" she asked.  
"Tomorrow the Chunin Exams start in the Hidden Leaf. That will be your opportunity. Show off your strength, and let the Leaf know that we would be powerful allies."  
Mizure heard Rue scoff behind her. "You expect them to simply trust us inexplicably? This is going to backfire, I just know it."  
She frowned, thinking she'd pulverize him later for contradicting her Sensei. "I'm sure you 3 can make it happen. Don't disappoint me, or Leader-Sama. You know how she gets when things don't go according to plan," the woman narrowed her eyes, emphasizing her words.  
The 3 looked away nervously. 'Man, Sensei can be scary when she wants to be,' Mizure thought, shuddering lightly.  
"I'm glad you understand. Now, go meet Iratai at the front gates, he's waiting for you," she commanded.  
"Right," they chorused, and were gone in a flash.

As they grew closer to the Leaf, Mizure began to understand where the name originated from. "There are so many damn trees!" she cried as she nearly tripped over another branch.  
She knew if she fell, she'd have to save herself, and nobody would wait for her to catch up. And with how fast they were moving, she'd be left behind, and she'd never be able to find her way to the Leaf without Iratai Sensei as her guide. Independance was something hammered into their brains in the academy, and as far as anybody was concerned, including herself, she didn't need help. So she fought to keep up with their pace, cursing the geezer's unnatural speed with each step. She nearly bumped into Tamake when the 3 in front of her skidded to a halt at the tree line. She was righted with a nod and a smile, making her blush once again. "This village is known to it's inhabitants as Konoha. To us, it is the Hidden Leaf, future allies. From here on out, most of the work will be done by you, my little chitlings," the old man turned to them, smiling broadly.  
Rue and Tamake both brushed passed him, muttering that he shouldn't address them so fondly. Mizure smirked. "Well, Iratai Sensei, are there any specefic blood lines we should know of participating in the exams?" she asked, falling into step with her comrades.  
"Several actually, but none that you haven't studied I'm sure. First, the Nara clan." She waved the name off.  
"An easily countered Jutsu," Rue said. "The Akimichi," he continued, "and the Yamanaka." Rue scoffed.  
"The Akimichi are a bunch of slow lazy wimps, and the Yamanaka are no threat as long as you're mobile." Mizure glanced at Rue, in awe of his knowledge.  
'He must have really read up on this,' she thought.  
"And last but not least, the Hyuuga and the Uchiha," Iratai finished.  
"The Hyuuga...now that could be fun. Fast, agile, strong, not to mention the Byakugan," he smirked, "And the Uchiha...as far as I know, there are only two of them, which means the youngest should be entering the exams." Rue's face suddenly turned serious. "I don't know if he's unlocked Sharingan or not, but...if either of you should have to face him, run." Both of his team mates stopped in their tracks, staring at him in surprise.  
'What could be so scary that Rue would adopt a tone like that?' Mizure wondered breifly before running to catch up with him, Tamake in tow.  
They reached the gates where an old man and two masked Shinobi awaited them. The old man smiled warmly as they approached. "Ah, Iratai my old friend. It's good to see you again," he chirped, reaching for her Sensei's hand, which was offered politely.  
"Hiruzen...it's been some time hasn't it. Chitlings, this man is the Hokage of the Leaf Village, treat him with respect," Iratai said.  
"Lord Hokage," they greeted, bowing at the waist.  
He shook each of their hands before motioning them through the gates. "Welcome to Konoha. Make yourself at home," the man said. "These two are part of the Anbu Special Ops, allow them to take you to a nice Inn."  
Mizure peeked at her Sensei and noted his stiff posture. 'Just as I suspected...the Leaf doesn't trust us. These two were probably ordered to keep an eye on us,' she thought.  
The masked men lead them through the village, pointing out good places to eat, or bars and gaming pubs. 'A wonderful facade they've put up...' she narrowed her eyes.

Once comfortably settled in her room Mizure sprawled onto her bed. "Ah, there are many perks to being a girl, and having one's own room is one of them," she sighed in contentment.  
She opened her eyes slightly, gazing at the ceiling. "They didn't think we had any idea what the Anbu is used for...as if the Academy taught us nothing about the infiltration of villages," she muttered quietly, in case she was still being watched.  
"Furthermore...it's obvious only the higher ups have been told where we're really from."  
She reached up to run her fingers across the fake Mist headband she wore around her neck. "Still, this should be fun. I get to show off as much as I want, and I don't even have to become a Chunin in the end if I don't want to. I just have to make it to the final round. Shouldn't be too hard," she laughed.

"Eh? What's this place supposed to be?" Tamake wondered outloud as they entered a building crowded with other Genin.  
"Well, it looks to be a room full of people," Rue answered indifferently.  
Naturally, this caused a eruption from Tamake, and suddenly all eyes were glued to the trio as Tamake tried to engage Rue in a fight and Mizure stood to the side, acting as if she wasn't with them. Though she was sure everybody could tell they were on the same team, since they were the only ones with Mist head bands. "Ah, to hell with it! Both of you shut up, we're gaining unwanted attention," she elbowed them both roughly in the ribcages.  
Rue glanced at their audiance with disinterest, while Tamake flashed a brilliant smile and was suddenly engulfed by a bunch of babbling girls. Mizure will never admit to the pang of jealousy she felt that day. As attention was dragged away from them by Tamake, Rue took the chance to pull Mizure close, lowering his head to her level. "Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka..." he began pointing out clans to her, "Aburame, Inuzuka. And over there are two Hyuuga. You can tell them by their eyes alright?"  
She nodded, and he pulled away from her. She'd read a little about each, but only knew the basics, she had no clue about the depths of any of their powers. 'Nara: Shadow Possesion, Akimichi: Expansion Jutsu, Yamanaka: Mind Possesion,' she mentally counted them down, 'the Aburame use insects, which is gross. I really hope I won't end up facing him in any situation. The Inuzuka raise Ninja Hounds, looks like he even has his with him. Really hope that puppy is house broken since it's sitting on his head of all places...and the Hyuuga use something called Byakugan.'  
She really didn't know much about Byakugan, just that it was a visual jutsu, and that was enough information for her. What she really wasn't sure about was this Sharingan Rue had warned her about. They hadn't been taught about the Uchiha, just that there weren't many of them left, and the chances of encountering one was little to none. 'Great advice you lazy teachers...' she thought dryly.  
In front of them, some sort of commotion began. "What's happening?" she asked, turning to her team mates.  
"Some jerks won't let anybody through," Tamake answered, shoving his way through the crowd.  
"Well, what's going on here?" a new voice wondered aloud.  
Everybody turned, and Rue suddenly pulled both of them in. "Uchiha," he whispered, nodding at the one whose voice had cut through the argument.  
The first thing Mizure thought was that he was pretty cute...but he looked arrogant. Not her type. Then her attention was drawn to a bright looking ninja. He wore an orange jacket and pants, and had a shock of yellow-blonde hair. It was hard not to notice him. "This...is a Genjutsu. Right Sakura? You're good at seeing through these kinds of things," the Uchiha said, addressing a girl with pink hair beside him.  
She blushed, suddenly looking brazened. "Yup. In fact, this isn't even the 3rd floor," she stated.  
The 2 blocking the way grinned, and the sign above them shimmered, now reading 'First Floor.' "Well...crap," Mizure stated, biting her thumb in frusteration.  
Her small outburst earned a glance from Sakura, a smirk from the Uchiha, and an amused snort from the orange guy. The rest of the room remained silent, either angry they hadn't noticed the illusion, or in awe that the girl had. Said girl flashed a triumphant smile before grabbing her team mate's wrists and pulling them down the hall. "C'mon Sasuke! Naruto!" she said.  
"What a waste of time," Tamake complained, following after them. "Let's go too. We need to find the real site before time runs out," Rue said, taking her hand and leading her down the hall.  
'I've never worked with males before...are we supposed to be this friendly with eachother?' she wondered, peering curiously at their entertwined hands.

"What's going on?" she asked as they neared Tamake, and Rue quickly dropped her hand.  
"Some weird guy with a bad haircut challenged the Uchiha kid," Tamake answered, leaning further against the railing and looking down into an open circular room. "Who's winning?" she asked, coming up beside him.  
"That's the funny part. The Uchiha is getting it handed to him," Tamake laughed. "We don't have time to watch children bicker," Rue reprimanded, crossing his arms.  
"Well, why don't you tell me how to safely pass them then," Tamake rebuted. "Simple," he said, and jumped over the railing.  
Just as the bowl cut kid unwound bandages from his arms, Rue appeared before him, kicking him into a wall. "Nothing personnel," he droned, "but we need to get through." He exited, and Mizure fought to catch up.  
"That wasn't very smart! We're supposed to be trying to make_ friends_ with the Leaf!" she yelled, throwing up her hands in exasperation.  
Without turning, he answered, "Nobody said anything about friends. They said _allies_. Alliances aren't made by being nice, they're made by showing off strengths and allowing eachother to see weaknesses."  
Mizure sighed, deciding to focus instead on the new atmosphere. 'Yes, very leafy indeed,' she decided absent mindedly.

'Seriously?' Mizure thought, raising one eyebrow in the direction of a burly man who had just introduced himself as the Head of Interrogation for the Leaf Village.  
Those who were left after a short elimination process were told that the first exam would be written. 'This isn't good...academics were never my thing. I wonder if maybe Rue...no, he said anybody caught cheating fails,' thoughts raced through her head.  
And then, as the beginning of the exam was signaled, the lightbulb in her head flashed on. "Anybody who is _caught_," she murmured, sneaking a glance at Rue. Both he and Tamake were already staring at her expectantly. She sighed. 'I see, they've already figured it out. And it seems I've been designated to get the answers.'  
She looked around at the other Genin, knowing it was impossible to use _that_ on any of them without being caught. 'Hmm...then I won't use it on mere Genin,' she thought, smirking. "Excuse me!" she called, waving a hand in the air.  
"Yes...small one in the back," the one called Ibiki addressed her. "It's Mizure," she drawled.  
"Right. What do you want?" he asked, rolling his eyes. "I need to use the bathroom."  
A short pause followed before he grinned, "Go then."  
She narrowed her eyes. 'Smug bastard,' she thought. "I'll need to ask somebody to take me..." she trailed off, eyeing some of the Jonin watching them. "You," she started, staring into the eyes of a female Jonin with a stoic expression, "please guide me to the the rest room." The Jonin immediately stood, much to the surprise of her companions.  
"This way," she said, leaving the room. Mizure was well aware of the eyes following her as she exited, and she couldn't help but grin in Ibiki's direction.

"You Leaf Shinobi are pretty impressive. You've got strong ones among you, though some of them aren't the brightest," she told the Jonin once they were walking down a long hallway.  
Mizure distinctly remembered the orange ninja who had made a fool of himself in front of formidable enemies. 'He'll become a target for sure, just so people can say they took down the annoying one,' she thought, sneering at the thought.  
"Yes...I suppose we do," the Shinobi gritted out. Mizure laughed, "Wow, you're really trying to fight this aren't you?" The Jonin only glared at her in response. "Don't worry, I won't make you spill any village secrets alright? I just have to ask you not to tell anybody about this, it's my secret weapon you see," she told her in a teasing manner. They paused outside a door marked as the bathroom.  
"Go on then," the female Shinobi said.  
"We both know I don't really have to go. Just tell me the answers you know, and then I'll release you." The Jonin obeyed, giving her every answer, which Mizure memorized. "Now then, let's go back shall we? My team mates are impatient guys y'know?"

Rue and Tamake snapped their heads up when she entered. Seating herself, she immediately began lightly tapping her pencil in a code the two could undoubtedly decipher. "Time's up," Ibiki announced, and everybody immediately set their pencils down, including Mizure. She'd be the first to admit he was an intimidating guy, and even she didn't want to provoke him further. He was probably at his limit with her attitude. "Before I collect your tests...there is one more question you must answer," he said.  
"Eh?! Another one?" the orange ninja, who'd loudly introduced himself as Naruto earlier, began to panic.  
"Yes," Ibiki silenced him with a look. "But first, you must know something. If you miss this question you fail, as do your team mates. Not only that, but you will remain a Genin for the rest of your life." The room was suddenly eerily silent as everybody soaked in this information. "And so, if any of you want to leave now, and try again next year, now would be the time." Several people slowly raised their hands, and were guided out with defeated looking team mates following. She peeked at her own team mates, though she knew they wouldn't raise their hands. If they failed, then the mission was over. But telling her Sensei she had failed would be much easier than explaining how they'd given up, and a rank like Chunin didn't matter there anyways. What she was most interested in were the actions of the loud mouthed Naruto. Currently he was shakily raising his hand, much to the obvious relief of his team mates. 'They really don't have much faith in him do they? That information could prove useful one day,' she decided, folding her hands together and resting her chin there.  
Suddenly his hand turned into a fist that he used to bash the desk in front of him. "Ha! Like I'll give up. I'm gonna be the Hokage one day, believe it!" he shouted, and triumphantly flopped back into his seat.  
Mizure's eyes widened, and there was murmuring among the Genin left. Some thought he was a fool, the others he thought he was pretty brave. None seemed to think he'd actually make it though. Mizure's surprised expression slowly turned into a fond smile. "That guy has guts," she murmured.  
Rue and Tamake grunted their agreement, like she knew they would. They were trained to look for this kind of enemy. 'A gutsy ninja is a dangerous ninja,' they'd been told, 'because they don't know when to give up.'

"No others? Great then...well, you pass," he told them, grinning.  
"Huh? Wait, really? No kidding? Great!" Naruto yelled, leaping from his seat and shoving a fist into the air.  
"But what about the last question?" the one called Sakura asked timidly. "That was the last question: Will you stay, or go? On a real mission, there is no giving up, you have to stick with it, or you'll end up risking your life and potentially dragging your team mates down with you," he explained.  
"And our term papers?" Mizure piped up.  
"Don't matter. Only the last question mattered. And of course we wanted to see how you'd get the answers. I have 2 people in this room who had the answers, and of course the Jonin around the room, whom some of you somehow used," he said, directing the last part at her in particular. "Even I'm not entirely sure how some of you did it, but I'm sure I'll find out if I keep watching the Exam," he smirked. "Next, you'll go immediately to the location of the second round, by the Forrest of Death."  
Naruto whined, "What? No break?" Ibiki shook his head, opening the door for the Genin to exit.  
"Forrest of Death? That doesn't sound pleasant," Tamake noted as the 3 left together, following the Leaf Genin who knew where to go.  
"Really? I thought it sounded like a picnic," Rue drawled sarcastically. "Oh, for the love of Kami! Both of you shut up. This doesn't sound as easy as I thought it would be, so be on your toes," Mizure commanded. 'Difficult, but still fun,' she thought to herself.


	2. Forrest of Death

**I know this chapter is alot shorter...just bear with me!**

"So...this is the Forrest of Death? Looks like a normal forrest to me," Tamake said as they stopped by a thick woods.  
"Try not to be too disappointed," Rue mocked.  
Mizure could only roll her eyes and bear with their antics. She looked around at the other students who had passed, wondering if they would be racing through the forrest, or perhaps facing eachother? She figured she could probably take most of them. The ones she didn't want to face would probably be...Kabuto, or the creepy ninja from the Hidden Grass, and that sand kid...Gaara was it? While Kabuto didn't have much information on her or her team mates, he seemed pretty experienced. He'd taken the exams several times after all. The ninja from the Grass weren't just creepy, but also rather suspicious. It wouldn't do for people to infiltrate the Leaf while she was trying so hard to make an alliance. And Gaara...he obviously had no mercy, and those ninja who enjoyed killing others were people she did not want to fight. "Sorry I'm late," Mizure heard to her right.  
There stood a Jonin with a netted shirt and hair pulled into a messy ponytail. "Listen up kids! My name is Anko, and I'll be overseeing the second round of the Chunin Exams!" The spunky woman had everybody's apt attention by now, and was roving her eyes over the entire group. "Each of you will be given either a Heaven or an Earth scroll. However, you need both to pass. Once you have secured both scrolls, move to the building in the center of the forrest. It's big, not easy to miss," she smirked, "Oh, and one more thing. Don't open the scrolls until instructed to do so."  
"Hmph. So we have to take the other scroll from another group?" Rue murmured.  
Anko kept explaining things, talking to several of the students, and eventually having an odd encounter with a women from the Grass, and Mizure took that time to talk things over with her team. "Okay listen. Most likely, there are several teams that would be easy targets. But let's pick a really talentless squad. We shouldn't draw too much attention to ourselves until there are officials watching, and this way nobody knows our true strengths until the very end," she said, huddling in a tight circle with her team mates.  
They nodded their approval, and disbanded just in time for Anko to signal they were starting. "Let's give it our best," she said, charging into the forrest.  
They stopped a little ways inside, settling down onto the wide branch of a tree. "So, what scroll did we get?" Tamake asked.  
Rue pulled out their scroll, reading the words printed on the outside. "Heaven," he said.  
A blur flew past them, and suddenly the scroll was gone. "Wha- hey that guy took our scroll!" Tamake growled, standing.  
The theif leaned momentarily against a tree, chuckling to himself. "Thanks suckers!" he taunted, taking off again.  
"Calm down Tamake," Mizure said, resting a hand on his shoulder to still him. "Why should I? He's getting away with our scroll!" he shouted.  
Mizure sighed irritably, "Do you really think Rue is that stupid? To just wave our scroll around like that without a reason?"  
Tamake raised an eyebrow. "Well...I guess not," he admitted.  
"That's right, he's not," she told him, opening the flap to her weapons pouch.  
Inside laid a scroll with the word 'Heaven' inscribed across the top. "Oh! So that was a fake!" Tamake realized.  
"Took you long enough," Rue muttered.  
"What was that smart ass?" the other boy hissed.  
"Nothing! He didn't say anything! Anyways, now we know that guy has an Earth scroll. So let's go get him," she rushed, trying to disract him. Luckily, it worked.  
"Good thinking Mizure!" he said, and she blushed at the compliment.

"So you're saying you just snatched it from them?" a girl with short brown hair asked her grinning team mate.  
"Yup! What a bunch of idiots right?" he laughed, "that's why Nikomaru and I are both carrying fake ones. They should've been smarter."

"Well, thanks for that information," an amused voice said from above them.  
Their heads snapped up, spying an older boy with light brown hair and golden eyes, flocked by a colder looking guy with black hair and onyx eyes, and another one hidden in the shadows of the tree they were perched in. "I think you have something that belongs to me," he said.  
"Eh? No way, this Heaven scroll is ours now!" the brat shouted.  
"Hm? Oh, you can keep that, it's not real anyways. I was talking about the Earth scroll you possess."  
Tamake took a step forward, only to be stopped by a pale hand. He'd grown used to the feel of Mizure's small palm on his arm, and he was quick to react, swiveling his head towards her. "What?" he asked.  
"Don't use anything elaborate on them. Taijutsu will do," she warned him.  
"Right," he smirked, diving from the tree.  
In a flash he was behind the girl, using one hand to knock her unconscious, and the other to grab the Earth Scroll from her bag. Her comrades lunged at him, easily dodged. Once they'd missed him, they quickly turned, throwing Kunai at him, which were easily countered with a Kunai of his own. "Heh. How old are you? 11, 12? Either way, you're about a hundred years away from being able to face me," he jeered.  
Infurianted by his deriding tone, they charged at him again, one veering off to the left. "Oh? Coming at me from different directions? Well look who got smart," Tamake teased, putting the scroll in his mouth and taking out another Kunai with his free hand.  
But, instead of taking them on, as expected, he jumped out of the way, and the two barely missed eachother. "Tamake, stop messing with them. They're only kids," Rue yelled from his position in the tree.  
"They're not kids! Mizure is their age, and she could take me on. Not saying she could beat me but..." he trailed off, smirking at the girl watching him from above.  
The two lunged at him again, but this time he evaded them by making a quick handsign that landed him beside Rue. Mizure stepped out of the shadows, meeting her opponents eyes. "We're done playing. Take care of your team mate before you try following us," she commanded, watching as they solemnly nodded.  
The 3 then sprinted towards the center of the forrest.

"Was that...a giant snake just now?" Tamake wondered outloud, glimpsing the reptile from between the trees.  
"She did warn us that there were all kinds of dangerous creatures in here. It's the Forrest of Death, not the Forrest of Rainbows," Rue answered.  
"You know, I would punch you into a tree normally, but I'm dead tired right now," the boy complained.  
"Yeah, me too. Let's rest huh guys? We still have plenty of time to get there," Mizure said.  
Her comrades nodded eagerly, both ready to sleep. They landed in an open area, where Mizure did a few hand signs. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" she said, and exact replicas of the 3 came to life in front of them.  
"These guys will lay in the open. If anybody attacks them we, who will be sleeping in the trees, will be alerted to the attackers," she explained.  
"Good thinking Mizure," Rue admitted, impressed.  
"I didn't come all this way to fail in the second round," she smiled, taking the scroll from Tamake and storing the 2 in the sleeves of her dark blue tunic.  
She jumped up into a tree and settled herself there comfortablely. "This is going to be a long few weeks," she decided sleepily.


	3. Mizure's Jutsu Revealed

"Mizure, wake up. We overslept, we need to go now," Tamake lightly shook the Kunoichi until her eyes cracked open.  
He jumped away, taken aback by the severity of them in close proximity. "Huh? How many days do we have left?" she slurred, propping herself up on one elbow.  
"Four days, plenty of time. We should still leave now though. Rue said staying in one place too long is dangerous."  
Mizure stood, stretching. "You still have the scrolls right?" he asked.  
"Yeah, I have them, no worries. Have my shadow clones already been dispelled?" she replied, jumping down from the tree.  
"Yeah, Rue got them when he woke up. Speaking of Rue, where the hell is that idiot?"  
Tamake sheilded his eyes from the sun, looking in both directions for their missing comrade. "Well, whatever. At least now I get you all to myself," he said, slinging an arm around her shoulders. She knew he was only teasing, but that didn't stop the fierce blush that colored her cheeks. He pretended not to notice, dragging her along at a quick pace. "I've got to say though, you're one of the more agreeable ninja I've ever been teamed up with. You're quiet, but smart. Quick on your feet too."  
The blush on her face burned her cheeks, and for a moment she thought she might pass out.  
'Snap out of it. This must be the charisma Sensei was talking about. He really does have a way with words,' she thought to herself, casually slipping out from under his arm. "Did Rue tell you where he would be?" she asked.  
'Heh, strong willed too eh? She's definetly not like most girls her age,' he smirked. "No, he just took off. Maybe he's scouting ahead?" Tamake replied. "Hopefully. It would be a hindrance if he was captured by enemies," she muttered.  
"Yes, it would. He contributes greatly to this mission, and his loss would probably affect the out come," Tamake agreed. In the academy, they were taught that if a comrade was captured, it was their own fault. If Rue had gotten himself into that situation they weren't obligated to rescue him, especially not if it jeapordized the mission. "In any case, he better not slow us down." A sound of screaming off to their right caught their attention.  
"Eh...? Should we check it out?" Mizure asked. If it was a terrible danger, they might do well to know about it.  
"Why not? We've got time," he laughed, veering to the right. They stopped at a breach in the trees.  
"What's going on?" Mizure whispered. The scene in front of them was horrific. 3 Sand Ninja were facing off with ninja hidden by cloaks and large hats.  
"If they keep at it like that, they'll die," Tamake stated.  
"Which ones?"  
He nodded towards the 3 cloaked figures. "Look at how cocky they are though...this could be fun to watch." Mizure held her breath as one of the ninja threw his umbrella into the air, and several spikes shot at the red head in front. Then, the most peculiar thing happened.  
"Sand...how?" Mizure started. Tamake pointed to a gourd on the boy's back. "That looks pretty heavy for him to be carrying around," she murmured, knitting her eyebrows together.  
"Yeah, but look at how fast that sand is. If I could do that, I'd carry around the damn thing too!" Light feet landed beside them, and they turned to see Rue crouching there.  
"That's called the 'ultimate defense' I believe," he said.  
"Hey! Where were you?" Mizure whispered harshly. A sickening sound called her attention back to the battle, where she saw the first ninja being crushed in a mound of sand. Her mouth gaped open.  
"H-how did he do that?" Tamake wondered, prepared to step off the branch and confront the siblings themselves. Mizure caught his hand, shaking her head.  
"Let's go guys...I don't want to watch this anymore," she pleaded. Tamake smirked down at her.  
"Aw, is little Mizure scared?" he teased, earning a sharp glare from Rue.  
"Don't be stupid. She's right, we need to leave," he said, leaping down and running the other direction. Mizure followed and, after figuring he didn't want to meet the sand ninja on his own, Tamake trailed after them. They traveled in a wide arc around the scene they had just witnessed, Rue leading them.  
"Hey look! It's the watch tower!" Tamake suddenly exclaimed. Mizure and Rue looked up.  
"I hadn't realized we were this close...everybody be careful from here on out. We'll have to be wary of vultures," Rue warned.  
"Vultures...?" Mizure wondered outloud.  
Her raven haired team mate nodded somberly, "There will probably be people waiting near the end for others who have already got both scrolls."  
Mizure raised an eyebrow, "And you know this how?" He crossed his arms and rolled his eyes as if it were the most obvious thing ever.  
"I pondered over quite a few strageties before I settled on yours. The simpler the better, right?" She huffed, slightly offended. She'd thought pretty hard about the strategy they'd used to obtain their Earth scroll, and had even thought as far ahead as to realize it would work better if Tamake didn't know about it.  
"Whatever. The point is, we need to get going. We keep getting side tracked, thinking that we have enough time. Eventually there won't be time left," she said, picking up her speed.  
"That's quite right my dear," came a voice from above.  
"Shit," Rue muttered.  
Tamake rolled his eyes, "You jinxed us you idiot!"  
"Oh shut up there's no such thing!"  
Two kunai sailing passed them brought their attention back to their attacker. He was...well, he was huge. Penetrating black eyes looked them over silently, before landing on Mizure.  
"I know those eyes," he murmured. Mizure took a step back, settling into her fighting stance.  
"If you attack, this will be the last time you see them," she snarled.  
"Hmm. Do I want to fight an Akane?" he pondered outloud, tapping his chin. He glared at her again. "Of course I do." He lunged at her, surprising her with his speed.  
'Somebody this big shouldn't be able to move so fast,' was all she had time to think before she slammed into the ground. He glowered on top of her, pinning her arms down and sitting on her chest. "You...stupid bastard," she wheezed. "Get off me!"  
Rue and Tamake appeared on either side of him, each throwing a kunai simultaneously. He dodged it, and the knives landed in two trees with a solid thunk. Mizure sat up, grasping at her chest as she desperately tried to suck air into her aching lungs. Rue kneeled beside her, resting one hand on her back and letting the other grip her wrist, forcing her up.  
"You're okay Mizure," he assured her, allowing her to lean against him until she caught her breath.  
"How does he know about you?" Tamake asked, appearing in front of her.  
"The Akane name...belongs to a clan," she choked out.  
"Wish we'd known that earlier," the boy murmured.  
"Don't tell me you've forgotten about me?" a teasing voice asked.  
The trio looked up in time to move before he came down where they'd been standing.  
"That guy has too much force. Just look what he did to her!" Tamake shouted, motioning to Mizure. Rue held her in his arms, where she was still struggling to take in air. He laid her down gently.  
"Stay here. We'll fend him off," Rue said, racing towards the man. He lept away just as the guy threw an enormous Shuriken his way. He used the Shuriken to propel himself at his foe faster, gaining just enough speed to deliver a blow to his ribs. The attacker coughed, spewing blood onto the ground.  
"You little brat!" he yelled, hoisting Rue up by the neck. Tamake took the chance to run at him, cutting into his arm and jumping away. The sting of the cut was enough that he dropped Rue.  
'Good thinking Tamake. But what we really need to do is aim for his legs,' Rue thought. Too late, he kicked at the other boys ankles, and he jumped up, just barely missing Rue's head when he landed. Tamake attacked again, kicking him soundly in the back, and laughing as the giant toppled over. "Eh, you're not so tough," he mocked.  
In a tree above them, Mizure had finally caught her breath, and was watching with a worried expression.  
"He was purposfully not looking into my eyes. Which means not only has he heard of the Akane, but he's fought one too," she analyzed. "I need to get him to look at my eyes."  
The giant got up, landing a sudden punch into Tamake's gut, and sending him flying into a tree. He turned around, but the other one was gone. His head snapped up as he heard rustling above him. "Got you," he smirked. "Is that so?" a dark voice asked, and suddenly a hand shot out of the ground, gripping his foot tightly. The rest of Rue's body came up after it. The giant grinned, reaching down and grabbing the boy by the hair. He lifted him up so they were eye to eye, smiling deviously.  
"Yes, that's so."  
"I beg to differ," came Rue's voice from behind him.  
"What? Then who...?" he cried, eyes widening. The hair in his fist elongated slightly, and changed color. He found himself staring into eyes the shade of Rosewood.  
"Dokushingan," Mizure said. The pupils and whites of her eyes disappeared until he was staring into endless red. He dropped her, falling to his knees. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't look away from her.  
"So this is the rare Jutsu I've heard so much about," he said.  
"Yes. As long as I don't break eye contact with you, you will feel whatever I want you to feel. Why don't we start with...fear," she chuckled darkly. The giant suddenly began to cower, and beg for mercy.  
"Tamake. Kill him while you have the chance," she said.  
"But-"  
"Hurry up! This uses alot of chakra, I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to hold it."  
Tamake nodded, taking a step forward and slicing his neck in one stroke. Mizure released her Jutsu, and her eyes reverted to their normal state. Rue caught her as she fell, deciding he'd just carry her the rest of the way.  
"In all my life, I've never seen Kekkei Genkai quite like Dokushingan," Tamake admitted shakily. Rue nodded in agreement.  
"It's hard to think there's an entire clan that posseses the same quality. I had no idea," he said.  
"Either way, let's be glad she's on our side," Tamake replied, taking off again.  
'Curses,' Mizure thought to herself. 'I'm still not strong enough to use it without experiencing side effects.'


	4. Preliminary

**Hi! Saige here, just thought I'd let you guys know that while some things might be confusing now, they will be explained in later chapters. THE ONE HANDED SIGN IS NOT RUE'S JUTSU.**

"Oi! Mizure, wake up."  
Mizure opened her eyes to find herself looking into Rue's face. He seemed uneasy about looking into her eyes, but didn't jump away from her as Tamake had. "What? Where are we?" She asked, sitting up.  
They were in a round room, with two large doors at the front, and an odd message on the wall opposite them. "We made it to the watch tower. You've been asleep for a long time," Rue told her, eyebrows scrunched in worry.  
Tamake appeared beside her, hugging her tightly. "Oh Mizu-Chan! I thought you'd never wake up!" he exclaimed, squeezing the breath out of her.  
"T-Tamake-Kun, stop that," she managed, blushing a crimson red.  
He released her, and she slumped unceremoniously forward.  
"And since when have you called her Mizu-Chan? She's not element, Tamake.*  
Said boy stuck out his tongue. "What? Are you jealous that Mizu-Chan and I have bonded?" he teased, tugging Mizure to him again.  
Rue rolled his eyes. "Please. We're temporary team mates, there's no reason to get attached," he said.  
"I wonder how temporary it is? I like working with Mizure. I might request her on future missions. We work well together, don't we Mizu-Chan?" he said, rubbing his cheek against hers.  
Her face reddened even more, and she swallowed thickly. "U-um, sure T-Tamake," she stuttered, trying desperately to push him off of her.  
"Look at that, she's trying to get away from you. Probably afraid your stupidity will rub off on her," Rue taunted.  
Tamake stood up, yanking Mizure with him. "Look, we haven't been friends from the start! But it's not my fault you have a pathetic crush on Mizure and she likes _me_!" he shouted.  
Mizure's eyes widened before she looked down, trying again to pull away from Tamake. He finally pushed her away, and both boys took a step forward, ready to fight. "Will you idiots stop it! You're jeopardizing the mission, dammit!" she screamed, earning two startled stares.  
"Yeah, that's right. I don't care about anything you have to argue about and, to be frank, I don't especially like _either_ of you guys!" Her body shook with rage. She was 12 for Kami's sake! She didn't want to get dragged into some kind of love triangle with two older boys, she just wanted to finish the mission and go home.  
'No, not home. That place doesn't excist anymore,' she reminded herself. She just wanted to go back to the academy. They blinked at her, then at each other, and eventually went to go sulk on opposite sides of the room. About 12 minutes later she sighed, becoming impatient.  
"Hey, are we supposed to open the scrolls yet?" she asked. Rue nodded.  
"According to that riddle, about now would be a good time." Leave it to Rue to figure something out four days in advance. She took the scrolls from the hiding place in her sleeves, opening both of them. There was a puff on smoke, and when it cleared, there stood Iratai in all of his weird glory.  
"Hello chitlings!" he chirped, saluting them.  
"Um...Iratai Sensei?" Mizure started.  
"Yes littlest chitling?" he answered.  
"What are you doing here?"  
Iratai laughed heartily, and for a moment she wondered if he was drunk, but then realized he was just...being Iratai.  
"Well, I'm here to tell you that you pass! Yay, you're going on to the next round!" he said, tossling her hair.  
The trio couldn't help but grin at him, including Mizure, who's hair was now a mess. 'If I had a grandfather...I think I'd want him to be a little something like Iratai,' she decided.

They were led into a circular room adjacent to the watch tower, where several other teams were waiting patiently.  
She counted them silently in her head, 'Two, four, six...there are eight teams in all, including us.'  
Tamake elbowed her in the ribs, "Look _littlest chitling_, most of the others are your age. You should have no problem beating them," he teased. She smiled nervously.  
'I'm really not so sure. I can't possibly use Dokushingan right now, my chakra is way too low for something like that. If I end up facing somebody from a clan...or that Gaara guy, I'm done for,' she thought.  
Rue put a hand on her shoulder, reassuring her without words. The fight between the 3 was obviously forgotten, and Mizure was all too willing to forgive. She was just glad neither felt distant from her now.  
"The last stage of the Chunin Exam will no doubtedly be Genin facing off. But they wouldn't start something like that in such a small place," he told her. She nodded, smiling gratefully up at him.  
"Eh? What're we doing here?" she heard a familiar voice shout. She whipped her head around, trying to catch a glimpse of the yellow haired ninja. He stood a few feet away from her, with his team mates. They looked beat up, more so than her own team. The Uchiha was wearing a bandage around his neck, and was scuffed up pretty bad. Sakura had a black eye and dried blood at the corners of her mouth, not to mention her long pink hair had been hacked off. Naruto himself had torn clothes and dirt clinging to his body but, mysteriously, no cuts or bruises.  
'Odd,' she thought.  
The Hokage, now at the front of the room, interrupted the Genin's chattering by clearing his throat loudly. Immediately, he had everybody's attention.  
"Now then. It would seem quite a few of you have made it passed the second stage. 8 teams are more than we anticipated," he started.  
'8 teams is alot? How few were they expecting to pass?' Mizure wondered, tilting her head. A habit she'd picked up from her Sensei was to always question why. In this case, however, it was best to keep silent.  
"In short, there are too many of you," the Hokage continued.  
The room was silent. Mizure had a feeling she wasn't the only one who could predict what he was getting at. Before he could go on, a silver haired youth in he back spoke up. "I quit," he said.  
Mizure swung her head around. 'Kabuto?' she wondered.  
"I'm just too tired for what you're about to suggest." He shook his head, pushing broken glasses up on his nose, and then he left, despite Naruto's objections. The Hokage sighed after he was gone, glancing up to briefly address everybody with his eyes.  
"Do you know what the Chunin Exams were for originally?" he asked a boy close to him.  
"Um...to form alliances?" he asked hesitantly. The Hokage smiled ruefully.  
"That's what they're for now, or so everybody thinks. And when they started, it was under the pretense that alliances would form. However, in reality, what they were really used for was spying."  
Mizure quirked an eyebrow. Was he suggesting...that there were spies amongst them?  
"Of course, what does a foolish old man like me know?" he chuckled. "Anyways. As Kabuto hinted at, you are all going to partake in a preliminary."  
Startled gasps from some, earnest murmuring among others. "Preliminary?" Naruto shouted out, confused.  
"It means we're going to fight eachother, to single out the strongest," his team mate whispered, elbowing him in the ribs. Mizure inched closer, hoping to hear more of their conversation.  
"Sasuke, should you really fight with that bruise?" Sakura asked worriedly.  
"It's nothing, Sakura," he told her.  
"But-" she started to protest.  
"Sakura," he said, piercing her with his gaze, "It's none of your business."  
The girl moved away, hanging her head.  
'Eh? What's she acting so ashamed for? That guy's an asshole!' Mizure thought angrily. She really hated guys like the Uchiha.  
"Hey! She was only trying to look out for you!" Naruto said, clenching his fists.  
"I don't care. I want to fight the strong ones, and they're all here," he said, glancing at the Hyuuga, the bowl cut guy, and...Rue? Was he insinuating he wanted to fight Rue?  
"That doesn't give you an excuse to-" he began again.  
"Naruto," Sasuke cut in, "I want to fight you too."  
Mizure stepped back a bit. The look in his eye was unnerving her. She was always taught that ninja should fight to protect, not destroy.  
'Is this why Rue wanted us to run away? No, he couldn't have possibly known anything about the Uchiha's personality.' She backed up, inching closer to Rue. If the crazed Uchiha wanted to try to attack without permission, she'd kill him.  
'I fight to protect,' she thought firmly.

Yet again, they were led to another room. This one had a giant screen on one wall, and a railed balcony encircling the perimeter. A ninja appeared before them. "Well...my name is Hayate," he started, then coughed a bit. "Um...I'll be proctoring the third round in the Chunin Exams, and also this preliminary." Mizure stepped closer to him, straining to hear his choppy sentences. "Generally, you're not supposed to kill your opponent. However, if you do so before I step in, there is no penalty," he stated. Mizure stifled a gasp. Children being allowed to kill children? There was a limit to preparation, in her mind anyways. "Basically, how this will work is that a computer will pick random people to fight in a one on one battle, in this arena here. The matches will appear on that screen right there," he informed them, pointing to the screen, as if nobody had noticed it. "So, everybody, head on upstairs and wait for the first match to begin." All the Genin obeyed, heading up the stairs either to their right or left. The screen above them blinked on and immediately began running through names. "First match, Sasuke Uchiha vs. Yoroi Akado," Hayate announced as their names appeared on the screen. The two darted down, both eager for the match to begin. Mizure leaned in, intent on the battle. They began on Hayate's signal, clashing into each other, jumping, darting, slashing. It was all a bit too fast for her, but she managed to keep up. In the end, Sasuke won.  
"Hmph. Just as expected from an Uchiha. That clan is one of the reasons we want an alliance with this village so badly," Rue said, crossing his arms over his chest.  
"Yeah but...did you see those marks on him? Were those from his opponent? And from the way his Sensei whisked him away I'd say his injuries are pretty serious."  
"Next," the proctor started. The screen flashed through names, stopping on that of two boys. "Rue Hagashi and Misumi Tsurugi." Mizure glanced nervously at Rue, clutching at his sleeve.  
"I'll be fine," he assured her, disappearing into the small arena below them.  
"It wasn't you I was worried about," she murmured. Mizure knew what his jutsu was. She doubted he'd have to use it, but if he did the guy was a goner. It fact, the jutsu was so strong that people often misinterpreted it as Kekkei Genkai.  
"Begin!" Hayate shouted, and immediately Rue jumped back. The kunai aimed at him just barely missed.  
'Fast...' he thought, eyes narrowing. He then ran forward, not giving the enemy any time to counter. With one hand, he threw a kunai of his own, and with the other he made a hand sign. A collective gasp from those above him.  
"A one handed sign?" they murmured, astonished. Even Mizure was surprised. She hadn't realized there was such a thing.  
'It must be quite rare for a ninja to be able to do that. He probably read it in a book or something and decided to master it,' she thought, putting a thumb to her lips in concentration. She was beginning to get dizzy, and leaned on the railing for support. She really was too young to use Dokushingan, and this was the price for insisting upon unlocking it early. Below her, the battle continued. His hand sign activated some kind of fire jutsu that his target barely escaped. They dodged around again, throwing all kinds of weapons. Or maybe she was just seeing in twos now? The world was getting fuzzy...Tamake wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her upright.  
'Dammit. How can one jutsu do this much damage, even after she slept for four days straight? In the state she's in, she can't possibly win. And we need her to go into the finals,' Tamake thought frantically. He tried focusing instead on the battle that, no surprise, Rue was winning. He had driven his opponent into a corner, doing another hand sign and preparing to scorch him.  
"Enough," Hayate said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's obvious who has won." Misumi made no objection, instead taking the hand Hayate offered him and slowly limping away.  
The screen once again blurred through names, stopping first on Tamake, who smiled arrogantly, and then...on Mizure.  
"W-wait. Aren't they team mates?" the Hyuuga girl asked.  
"Hey yeah! Is that allowed?" Naruto shouted. Hayate nodded his head slowly.  
"It picks random names. In fact, there's no, um, guaruntee that this will be the only match in which comrades must face each other," he said, coughing into his hand. "Anyways, let's-"  
"I forfeit," Tamake interrupted. Mizure glared at him, shaking her head furiously.  
"Just because I'm weak right now doesn't mean I can't kick your ass!" she shouted angrily. How _dare_ he try to protect her. How _dare_ he dismiss the mission for her sake.  
"I know," he smirked. "I've seen you fight. I don't want to die." Mizure frowned. There was no way he really thought she could beat him like this. She could barely walk straight, let alone throw a weapon at him. And Dokushingan was just _out of the question_. Hayate sighed dramatically.  
"If you give up that easily, you shouldn't become a Chunin anyways," he said. "Winner by forfeit, Mizure Akane." Mizure's legs buckled, and she fell to her knees.  
"Glad that's over," she laughed, and toppled onto the ground. Nearly everybody rushed to her side, questioning Tamake about what was going on. Rue interfered, but the chaos continued.  
"That's too bad. I was hoping I'd see her fight," Gai smirked. Kurenai nodded next to him.  
"It's not every day you see one of their kind."  
"Gai Sensei, what are you talking about?" a curious Lee asked, flocked by his team mates.  
"There's no doubt about it. The red eyes, the white hair. She's an Akane alright. I haven't seen an Akane since..."  
"Gai! Watch it, you know the rules about speaking _her_ name," Kurenai scolded.  
"What's so special about an Akane?" Neji spoke up, ignoring Kurenai's outburst.  
"They use a type of Kekkei Genkai called Dokushingan. The most I know about it is that she has to make eye contact to use it on somebody," Gai answered.  
"Heh. That doesn't sound difficult to counter."  
"Oh, and as long as it's activated, other visual jutsu don't work on her. Such as...the Byakugan," Kurenai grinned.


	5. Dreamland

**Hey, Saige-Chan here! This is ****_very_**** short, in case you hadn't noticed. Think of it as a filler, just a chapter to help the story along. For those of you who are impatient, I put a bit of Mizure's past in here to hold you out until the next chapter. Oh, also! Last chapter, there was * beside a sentence. It was when Tamake first called Mizure 'Mizu-Chan' and Rue said not to call her that, because she wasn't an element. In Japanese Kanji, Mizu means water, which is an element.**

A_ young child sat on the cold wooden floor of the only home she'd ever known. Her long white hair tumbled loosely down her back and curled in pools on the floor. _  
_"Who's that one?" she asked, staring up at the many pictures adorning the main hallway. Her caretaker smiled gently down at her, something she saved only for this little girl, for the only pure soul she'd ever met. _  
_"That's your great-great grandfather, one of the founders of the Hidden Leaf," the woman answered. _  
_"Hidden Leaf? What's that?" the child asked, lifting a chubby hand to her mouth and biting down on a small thumb, as was her habit lately. Her caretaker was sure she'd be broken of it soon._  
_"It's a village a long ways from here. It's where your father was born."_  
_"Then why don't we live there?" The little girl glanced at her caretaker, waiting for an answer._  
_"Well...sweetheart, it's because sometimes bad things happen that make you want to leave the place they happened in."_  
_The child asked no more about that subject, seeing the woman's discomfort. She was good at reading people that way, even at the age of four. She pointed to another picture, next to the previous one._  
_"Who's that?" she asked._  
_"That's your great grandfather. He invented alot of mysterious Jutsu. Most of them are forbidden now."_  
_"What does forbitten mean?" the girl asked, mispronouncing the word, as children sometimes do._  
_"Forbidden, darling. It means you are not allowed to do it. Most people can't anyways, they don't have the kind of Chakra your family does, dear."_  
_"Oh. Who's that?" she asked, pointing at yet another picture._  
_"You sure lose interest quickly don't you? That is your father's father, your Ojii-San. He raised your father all by himself, back in the Hidden Leaf Village."_  
_"Oh. Why is that one a girl?" she asked, pointing to another picture. The child's bright red eyes peered curiously at a woman who looked mysteriously like herself. The woman had very long white hair, but bright blue eyes. She had a tender smile on her face that, on closer inspection, looked rather mischievous._  
_"Because that one is your mother," her caretaker answered softly. _  
_"My mother? Then why is she on the Wall of the Dead? Aren't mothers supposed to be alive?" the child asked curiously._  
_Her caretaker sighed, and held out her hand to the toddler, who took it and stood up. _  
_"Let's not discuss this Mizure. Not now," she said somberly, leading her away._

Mizure gasped as she woke up, shooting out of bed. She kneeled on a cold floor, taking in shaky breaths as she tried to rid herself of the horrid dream. The Akane home wasn't something she'd thought about in a long time. She certainly didn't want to be dreaming about it. She looked up, noticing it was night time, the moon shone in through an open window, and white curtains billowed outward, flapping in an invisable breeze. She glanced down at herself, recognizing hospital garb.  
"Ugh. What happened?" she muttered, recieving a sudden headache.  
"You used too much Chakra in the Forrest of Death," a voice said from behind her. Standing in the doorway were her team mates, and Iratai Sensei.  
"Tamake! Rue!" she cried, reaching for them, like a child might reach for a toy. Rue came forward first, worry etched in his dark features. He scooped her off the floor and laid her back into the bed she'd woken up in.  
"You really gave us a scare. What the hell happened? You only used that Kekkei Genkai once right?" Rue asked, sitting beside her.  
She nodded, swallowing thickly. 'Truth time,' she decided.  
"Well, you see..._technically_ I'm not supposed to be using Dokushingan yet," she told them.  
"What do you mean, _technically_?" Tamake growled. It was almost as if he and Rue had traded places. Tamake leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, eyes jaded. Rue sat beside her, one hand pressing against her back while the other timidly petted her hair. She found the gesture to be comforting, and she leaned into it without having to think. She trusted Rue. She trusted Tamake too, even though he looked ready to kill somebody.  
"I'm too young. I won't elaborate on how many, but not all Akane can use the Dokushingan. Those who can are born with the ability. You're supposed to get used to it over time, not use it at length like I did. The level of Dokushingan I used is far out of my league, and it seems I paid for it," she explained, downcasting her eyes. She was embarassed to the core that they'd discovered how weak she really was. "I'm sorry. Those of my heritage have abnormally large amounts of Chakra, but it's useless if I can't control it."  
"Then you'll learn to control it," Tamake said. He walked over, kneeling in front of her and grabbing her face so she was forced to make eye contact. "I didn't forfeit under the assumption you wouldn't be able to do this. I forfeited thinking that you're ultimately stronger than I am. You need to make a good impression on Konoha. Don't fail this mission," he told her, and turned to leave the room.  
"You still have three days to train. Rue can help you, but try to train with others from this village too. Start forming little alliances with the people, and soon we'll have a treaty with the entire village. Rue will tell you who all made it to the final round," he said without turning. Then he exited the room.


	6. Chance Meeting

"Okay so?" Mizure asked the next day, as she and Rue were walking towards a popular training grounds amongst Genin.  
"So...what?" he asked, coming out of a daze.  
Mizure sighed, rubbing her temples. She'd just been released from the hospital with three days until the final exam. The last thing she needed was Rue zoning out.  
"Who made it into the finals?" she asked between clenched teeth.  
"Oh! Well...the guy from the Nara Clan, a Hyuuga, one Sound Ninja, all three from the Sand, an Aburame, the Uchiha, and the weird orange guy."  
Mizure's heart beat a bit faster. Naruto had made it? That would prove to be an interesting match.  
"Who is, uh...I mean, who's Naruto fighting?" she stammered, glueing her eyes to the ground.  
Rue gave her an odd look before replying, "Neji Hyuuga."  
Mizure's heart dropped to her stomach. Certainly that knucle head wouldn't be able to beat a Hyuuga. She'd heard only great things about that particular clan.  
"Why are you asking?" Rue asked the dreaded question.  
"Well...because I really can't believe he made it into the finals," she lied. She knew from the moment she saw him he'd be a formidable opponent. She didn't know why she knew, she was just good at reading people like that.  
"Who are we fighting?" she asked.  
"I'm fighting Kankuro. You're fighting Shino Aburame," he informed her.  
She groaned loudly. "What? I have to fight the bug guy? I hate bugs!" she cried.  
"Yeah? Man you should have seen what he did to his opponent! He completely tore up his arm! There was blood everywhere!"  
She glared at him sharply. "Not helping," she muttered, earning a teasing laugh from Rue.  
"Tamake isn't coming to help us train?" she asked, suddenly feeling his abscence.  
"No...I think he's pissed he ended up having to forfeit. They shouldn't have allowed team mates to end up opponents," he frowned.  
Mizure shrugged, looking up to see the training site they were looking for. There were a lot of targets everywhere, and the trees surrounding the area looked like they'd taken years of beatings.  
"It's nothing like the one we have at the academy eh?" Rue noted beside her. She nodded, then turned to him.  
"Ready to spar?" she asked. He grinned.  
"Ready."  
There were several others already there, including most of the finalists. Even Naruto. But Mizure zoned them out as she began to spar with Rue, landing and dodging attacks. She wouldn't use Dokushingan on him and she really hoped he wouldn't want her to be the practice dummy for _that_.  
She wasn't even going to pretend they were on the same level. Rue was, after all, two years older than her, with more battle experience. She didn't want to think about the people he'd killed in the name of peace, but she knew it was probably alot. Truth be told, she wasn't even sure if he had the same ideals as her. People joined the academy for all kinds of reasons. Originally, hers was revenge. Now it was peace, the academy's main goal in the first place.  
"Rue?" she asked as she dodged a blow aimed at her shoulder.  
"Hm?" he grunted.  
"Why are you here?"  
Rue stopped, letting his arms fall to his sides. "I'm here because I'm one of the best suited for the job," he replied.  
"No. I mean _why_?" she insisted.  
His face turned somber. "Justice," he replied.  
"What do you mean?"  
"I want to make the world fair. That's why I joined in the first place, I thought maybe the academy could do that for me. This mission is key in the success of that dream. I would die to achieve that dream," he said.  
"That's stupid. We've had this conversation before Rue. There's no sense in dieing for justice. If you truly want to achieve your dream, you need to live, no matter what," a voice came from above them.  
Perched on a tree branch was Tamake, glaring down at them with cat eyes.  
Rue's eyes narrowed, but a desperate look from Mizure held him at bay.  
"I suppose that's where we differ," Rue answered stiffly.  
"Ha! What's this? Keeping the peace for your beloved?" Tamake crooned mockingly.  
"Hey! Just because you're in a bad mood doesn't mean you need to take it out on Rue," Mizure shouted.  
The boy leered at her, showing teeth in a near snarl. "Then who do you suppose I take it out on?" he asked, jumping from the tree. He sauntered over to her, hands in his pockets, grinning maliciously.  
'What in the world has gotten into him?' Mizure wondered, lifting her chin defiantly.  
"Spar with me. I'll give you a reason to be in a sour mood."  
His smile disappeared. "I have no intention of physically hurting you," he said, stopping in front of her.  
"Why? Are you afraid?" she asked, loudly. Several people stopped, listening intently.  
"And if I am?" he whispered, meeting her eyes.  
Her stomach clenched, and her face drained of color. Why? Why did this always happen?  
"You should be," she spat, anger flaring.  
Tamake held her gaze a few moments longer before nodding and disappearing back into the trees.  
"Mizure! You didn't have to do that," Rue cried, rushing to her side.  
"It's fine. But, what's his problem?" she asked. Since the beginning of the mission, his personality had done a complete 360, leaving her completely confused.  
"He gets like that sometimes...his personality just completely changes. It's like he has an altar ego that comes out when he's scared or angry. A coping mechanism maybe?" Rue answered, analysing it like genius's often do.  
"Well, I hope he turns back into his normal self soon, because this 'altar ego' of his is annoying," she frowned.  
"Hey!" a shout behind them. They turned, spying a grinning Naruto rushing towards them.  
"Wow, that was great, the way you stood up to him," he said, stopping in front of them.  
"Oh...yeah, I guess. I wish I didn't have to be like that with a team mate though," Mizure answered, blushing under his gaze.  
"Yeah...I clash with my idiot team mate Sasuke alot too," he said, oblivious to her discomfort. "So anyways, I just got back from training with a real pervert...I could go for some Ramen. Do you...maybe wanna come with me?" he asked, smiling broadly. Mizure glanced at Rue, who shrugged, but was obviously against it.  
'This is a perfect opportunity! Tamake did say to make friends,' she thought, delighted with herself.  
"Sure we'd love to!" she said, elbowing Rue in the ribs. He forced on a smile and nodded enthusiastically.

At the Ramen shop, Naruto ordered a bowl of Miso flavored ramen, and she and Rue followed suit.  
"So, you're from the Mist Village?" Naruto asked as they waited for their order. Mizure automatically reached up to feel her fake headband.  
"Yeah. There aren't very many ninja there though," she said, speaking based off what she read.  
"Yeah, not from what I saw," Naruto answered.  
"You've been there?" Mizure asked, peering at him curiously.  
"Yeah, on a mission. We met two guys named Zabuza and Haku." Rue's mouth dropped, and he looked around Mizure at the orange ninja, suddenly interested in the conversation.  
"Zabuza? Did you battle him?" Rue asked.  
"Yeah," Naruto answered uneasily.  
"And you're still alive?!" Rue shouted incredulously.  
"Yeah. We won." Rue narrowed his eyes, sitting back in his seat.  
"I see," he murmured. The owner of the shop dropped off their food, and the three ate in silence, Mizure casting curious glances at Rue, which he blatantly ignored.  
"Ah! I'm done. Man, I'm tired. It was nice meeting two of my opponents," Naruto said, draining the last of his bowl and leaving.  
"Who the hell is Zabuza?" Mizure asked once he was gone.  
"You mean you don't know? Zabuza was one of the Seven Great Ninja Swordsmen."  
"Oh. Then looks like we underestimated Naruto eh?" she asked. Rue shook his head.  
"There's no way that idiot survived an encounter with Zabuza. He's listed in the Bingo Book as a vicious S-Rank killer," Rue said.  
"So...you're saying he lied?" Mizure asked. Rue nodded. Somehow...Mizure didn't believe that.


	7. Fun Facts

**Saige-Chan here! Well, I'm gonna try to do the entire last chunin stage/battle with Orochimaru/Gaara going psycho thing all in one chapter. Which could take awhile. So here are some interesting facts about my OC characters and other stuff that you probably don't wanna hear! But I'm typing them anyway. **

Rue: Rue actually uses Genjutsu. I won't tell you exactly what his technique is, but it's pretty cool. A bit of his background story is that he was raised in 'the academy' since he was very little. He remembers nothing about his family, nor does he care. I made him with L from Death Note in mind, which is why he seems kind of indifferent one moment, and overly affectionate the next. It's because he's not really sure how to interact with other people. When Tamake mentions that Rue likes Mizure, he isn't lying. That's why Rue is a lot more gentle with her.

Tamake: For the most part, Tamake can do simple ninjutsu and taijutsu, but the only reason he's on the mission with Mizure and Rue is because he's 'charismatic' as mentioned by Mizure's sensei in the first chapter. His character is based off Light from Death Note, which is why I had him form an 'alter ego' much like innocent Light and evil Light in the Death Note series. That is also why he has a rather sick sense of justice, which will be emphasized later on, and the reason he seems to be a kind of manipulative player kind of guy. He thinks of Mizure as a little sister, somebody he wouldn't want to harm, but would if he had to.

Iratai: He is **_VERY_** old! Like, the third Hokage old. When the Hokage referred to him as an old friend, it was because they were opponents in the chunin exam of their time. Both of them became Chunin, but the Hokage beat Iratai in the final round. Other than that, he's a very playful character who feels fondly towards Rue and Mizure. He and Tamake clash a lot, and he really doesn't like him. I had Watari in mind when I thought up Iratai, but he ended up a lot more outgoing in the end. (This is information that may or may not be included in the actual story)

Mizure: One thing I WILL tell you about her is that her family is not dead, though who and where they are remain a mystery. There is, however, an interesting story behind why she spent most of her life in 'the academy.' It is known already that her mother passed away, but the reasons also remain unknown. Her personality is her own, but her looks are based off a younger version of Mizore Shirayuki from Rosario+Vampire, just with red eyes and white hair. Their names are even kind of the same, now that I think about it.

The Academy: 'The academy' is not the organization's name. That will be revealed later on. They call it the academy as a kind of joke, because to them it's the closest thing to a ninja academy they had. So yes, they are fond of the place, and yes, they do live there most of the time. If all of the students were there at once, it would be close to overcrowding. When I imagine it in my head, I think of a large ancient ruin type structure out in the middle of a kind of forrest/jungle.

**If you have any other questions, let me know! I'll do a Q&A if I must.**


	8. Chunin Exams: Final Battle

**Sorry if not everything is completely in order, I don't remember everything about the final stage of the Chunin Exam, and didn't go into detail on canon character's battles. Other than that, enjoy please!**

A sliver of sun pierced through a slit in the thick curtain covering Mizure's window. She moaned as the lone ray fell over her eyes. She cracked one open, flinching away as it made contact. The blanket fell from her shoulders as she sat up, caressing her injured eye with a gentle palm.  
"Today it starts," she murmured, feeling nervous butterflies in her stomach. This round in the Chunin Exams would decide the fate of the mission. A knock at her door distracted her uneasy thoughts, and made her head snap up.  
"Yes?" she called.  
"It's Tamake. Can we talk?" came the hesitant answer.  
She nodded before realizing he couldn't see her. "Uh, yeah. Come on in," she called, watching the door slowly creak open.  
"Hey," Tamake greeted, rubbing his head sheepishly. "About the other day..."  
"It's okay. I understand," she suddenly interrupted him, holding up a hand.  
"Y-you do?" he asked, confused.  
She shrugged. "No, not really. But I want to," she smiled up at him, looking sweet even with a bedhead. If anything, she looked more brilliant. The sun bounced rainbows off her white hair, and made her sleepy red eyes brighter. He blushed as he quickly looked away, lest his thoughts wander farther.  
"Tamake?" she asked.  
"Hm?" he muttered, looking up again. She was still smiling tenderly.  
"You're not alone," she told him.  
They both smiled, content with the silence that ensued.  
"Ah! Get out, I have to get ready!" she cried suddenly, hopping out of her bed and pushing him out the door. He laughed softly to himself as the door slammed behind him, thinking once again that she really was one of a kind.

Alone again, she plopped onto the floor and rolled out the bag she'd packed her clothes into. She knew what she wanted to wear. She just wasn't sure whether or not she should. In the end though, pride won out over reason, and she pulled the articles of clothing carefully from the bag, careful as not to rip them. Spreading them onto her bed, she looked down at them, smiling gently. The pants were simple, knee length spandex shorts, black in color. She'd wrap bandages and a kunai holder around her left calf later, nothing special. It was the shirt she ran her hand lovingly over. A shirt she'd taken from home, it had belonged to her elder sister. It was plain white and sleeveless, with a kimono thai style collar. On the back, a red circle laid, surrounded by four black triangles, all pointing toward the center. The Akane clan's crest. A bitterness rose up in her, something she'd never been quite able to quelch. Nevertheless, she put the garments on, and bound her short hair up the best she could, though most of the bangs escaped. Her fake headband she tied loosely around her neck, determined nobody would put a scratch on her forehead anyways. Finally, she slipped her feet into simple black shinobi sandals and opened her door, coming face to face with none other than Iratai.  
"Good morning Chitling!" he chirped. Mizure, being the timid mouse that she was, let out a small squeek and launched herself at Rue, who was standing by with an amused look on his face. He caught her easily, holding back a laugh at her expense.  
Mizure blushed, cleared her throat, and stepped away. She gripped his shoulders, holding him still as she looked him over. A plain white t-shirt overtop long pants and navy sandals.  
"Presentable," she approved.  
He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.  
"Well, are you three ready?" he asked as Tamake appeared again, dressed in a black shirt and long pants. The trio nodded, and Iratai held the door open for them. As they stepped outside, shielding their eyes from the bright sun, Iratai dug into a pack at his waist and tossed each of them food pills and a bottle of water.  
"Sensei...?" Mizure began, peering up at him curiously.  
"Food pills hold the perfect amount of nutrients for a ninja. This way, you won't eat too much, or too little. Drink a good deal of that water too. I don't want either of you dehydrating," he explained. She and Rue nodded, and Mizure saw Tamake smile from the corner of her eye.  
They began to walk, each subconsciously centering Mizure between them.  
Iratai strode behind them, grinning. 'They're odd, those three. Maybe under normal circumstances...'

As they made their way leisurely towards the battle ground they passed Icharaku's, where Naruto was happily munching on his 'breakfast.'  
"Oi! Naruto! How often do you eat that stuff?" Mizure shouted, planting her hands on her hips. Her team mates stopped, watching her with mild curiosity. Neither quite understood her fondness towards the idiot.  
"Just about every day," Naruto answered her, grinning as he turned bright red. Mizure clucked her tongue, something that to her equaled being reprimanded.  
"You should have a healthier diet you know. Especially today," she said, rolling her eyes.  
"Yeah, I know," he admitted, turning brighter. Mizure laughed, and continued walking.  
The arena that would hold the final stage of the Chunin Exams was fast approaching, becoming ever larger. She slowed her steps as they grew near, marveling at it. She wondered briefly how many people it would hold, and if it was any match to the massive size of the academy. The butterflies in her stomach grew again, fluttering around and breaking their wings on her insides. Tamake stopped in front of the doors, then veered away from them. Mizure reached out, clutching at his sleeves, begging with her eyes for him not to leave her.  
"Mizure," he soothed, running a thumb over her hand, "It'll be fine. I have to go sit with the other viewers okay? You go show 'em what you're made of." He pried her hand away from the fabric of his shirt, and Rue tugged her along, making sure she didn't trip as she cast a few nervous glances over her shoulder at the receding form of her team mate.  
She'd never been on a mission quite like this one before. She'd definitely never been separated from her team mates. She'd never been one to accept change, even when she was little and so easily manipulated.  
"I'll be going too. Good luck my little chitlings," Iratai said, disappearing in a could of smoke.  
They were stopped by two Chunin at the doors leading to the Arena. "You are?" one of them asked casually.  
"Contestants. Rue Hagashi and Mizure Akane," Rue answered stoicly. The men smiled.  
"We know that, we were just messing with you. Go on through here, then up the stairs to the right."  
Rue nodded, gripping Mizure's hand just a bit tighter as they found their way to a small room set aside for contestants. Mizure let go of Rue's hand and made her way to the edge of the room, where she could see the entire stadium, including the people in the audiance. She scanned the crowd, noticing feudal lords and nobles perched in the front row, placing bets and chatting animatedly with each other. Above them all, sat the Hokage they'd met their first day here, and another Kage. Judging from the color of his robes and hat, the Kazekage was here to see how his own Genin would do.  
"If you're looking for Tamake, you won't find him. He's probably as far back from others as possible," Rue said, coming up beside her. She didn't answer him, but simply leaned over the railing to get a better look at the arena. It looked like hard packed earth, with a few patches of grass here and there and a sprinkling of trees scattered over the ground and climbing up the walls.  
"Hey! Mizure!" a loud voice called. Said girl turned, grinning as she caught a glimpse of her favorite blonde ninja.  
"Naruto!" she cried, and hugged him despite herself. Naruto was just a comforting person to be around, and she needed that at the moment. That's what she told herself as she let go, noting the crimson color adorning his whiskered cheeks. "It's good to see you. I'm really looking forward to your match," she said.  
He nodded enthusiastically, back to his normal self. "Me too! I'm gonna win this, believe it!" he said, punching the air. Mizure giggled, something she hadn't done in quite some time. 'This guy is just something else completely,' she decided.  
"Oh hey. Actually I'm looking forward to your match too. There's gotta be a good reason your team mate didn't want to fight you," Naruto said, suddenly becoming serious. Mizure's brow creased, remembering Tamake's explanation.  
"It's because I'm stronger," she admitted, shrugging. Naruto grinned, hitting her playfully in the shoulder.  
"Oi, be quiet over there. It's about to start," a lazy voice drawled. Mizure peered over Naruto's shoulder, catching a glare from the Nara boy. She wanted to stick her tongue out, she really had too much adrenaline to deal with a lazy guy like him. However, she just bit her cheek, something she'd always do when she wanted to start a fight over nothing. It was self-discipline, something the ninja of the Leaf should learn.  
"Hello! Unfortunately, there was a bit of an accident last night...Hayate could not proctor this round of the Chunin Exams. My name is Genma Shiranui, I will be replacing Hayate for this round," a man's voice rang out, and the crowd hushed. Mizure focused her attention on the new proctor, noticing he had the same disposition as the first. "It's preferable you don't kill your opponent. If it seems like the battle has been won, I will stop the match," he went on, restating the rules.  
"Start the damn match," Mizure groaned. Genma, having apparently heard her, gave her a reprimanding glance before announcing the first match.  
"First up, Naruto Uzumaki Vs. Neji Hyuuga!"  
Mizure whipped her head towards Naruto, who was already jumping over the wall in earnest. Neji calmly hopped down after him.  
The battle began, Neji immediately taking the lead. Mizure's eyes grew wide at the jutsu that could be learned by those with the Byakugan. 'Gentle Fist' he had called it. "The hell is so gentle about that?" she heard Rue murmur beside her as Naruto was sent flying into a wall. The foundation cracked, chunks of the stuff falling and crumbling on the ground.  
"You can't beat me. Your fate was decided the moment I became your opponent," Neji said, standing over the limp body of Naruto.  
Suddenly Naruto popped out of the ground, slamming a well aimed punch at Neji. He was glowing orange now. "I don't believe in things like fate and destiny. You can change your future!" he said, standing over the Hyuuga. The boy's chakra was dangerously low, he knew. In the end, Naruto claimed victory.  
Another battle ensued, between Shikamaru and Temari. It was more a test of wits than a real battle, and the genius Nara would have won if not for the limit on his odd jutsu.  
"Meh, he'll still be promoted to Chunin. He's leadership material, definitely," Rue murmured. Mizure wasn't really paying attention to Rue. Nor was she paying attention to the matches. The entire time, she was stealing glances at her opponent. Shino Aburame. If he _had_ emotions, his glasses and ridiculously high collar hid them. Which irked her to no end.  
"Next up, Rue Hagashi Vs. Kankuro of the Sand!" the announcement snapped her back to reality long enough for her to wish Rue good luck.  
"I forfeit!" the two heard, and they craned their necks around to see Kankuro raising a hand, his sister leaning an elbow on him and grinning.  
"Really now? And here I thought you were strong," Mizure sighed, surprising them all.  
"I am," he stated.  
"Then how come your sister talked you out of fighting? Is she a little over-protective?" Mizure mocked.  
"My sister had nothing to do with it! Besides, one of your team mates forfeited too!" he cried, clearly becoming irritated.  
She raised an eyebrow. "My team mate was weak. Are you saying you're weak?" She hated to say it, but she could not have someone forfeiting their match with Rue. The sooner he fought the better.  
"Oh really? Well, how about I show you just how strong I am?" he said, jumping into the arena. Rue followed after him, winking at Mizure.  
"Are we ready?" Genma asked as the two appeared in front of him. They nodded, not taking their eyes off each other.  
"Go!" he cried, disappearing from the arena. They immediately clashed. Rue lunged at him, kunai in hand.  
"Heh. You've got guts kid. Or maybe you just haven't heard of me?" Kankuro said, easily dodging the attack.  
Rue, moving fast, appeared behind him. "I've heard of you alright. You need this, correct?" he said, knocking the wrapped object off the boy's back. It flew into the air and crashed to the ground a few meters behind them.  
"You bastard," Kankuro growled, turning around and slicing the air in front of Rue's face. Said boy jumped back a few paces, careful to keep his distance.  
From then on it basically went that Rue attempted to hit him, and Kankuro easily dodged.  
'Ugh...this guy is fast. Maybe I'll have to take a different approach,' Rue thought.  
He lunged forward once again, missing by just an inch. Instead, a fist connected with the side of his face, sending him backwards into an invisible force. He attempted to move, but found himself unable to.  
"What the hell is this?!" he cried, struggling to move.  
"I can't believe you fell for that. You kept coming after me until you were in the perfect position for me to send you headlong into my web," he laughed, walking towards him.  
"Web?" Rue asked.  
"Yes, a chakra web, woven by the puppet you so rudely knocked off my back earlier." Kankuro takes a look around, not being able to see the proctor anywhere.  
"Well, since that idiot can't see that the battle is obviously over, I'll make it clear," he said, pulling out a kunai. He launched it directly at Rue, watching intently as it stuck cleanly in the boy's throat. Blood spattered, and a feminine scream could be heard in the distance.  
'Probably that stupid girl who antagonized me before,' he decided, laughing in triumph.  
A dark chuckle tore him from victorious thoughts.  
"What? How the hell-" he was cut off when Rue's head cracked, little by little. Tiny spiders crawled out, climbing over his body and heading straight towards Kankuro.  
"Spiders?!" he cried, attempting to run.  
"There's no escape," Rue's corpse hissed as the spiders engulfed Kankuro and muffled his screams.

Mizure sighed, leaning her cheek on her palm. "Did he really win that easily?" she wondered, watching Rue stand over the writhing form of his opponent.  
"That's enough," Genma said, appearing beside him. Rue nodded, forming a handsign.  
"Release!" he said, and Kankuro's eyes snapped open. He sat up, rubbing his head.  
"Winner: Rue Hagashi!" Genma said, and the crowd cheered.  
"Huh? Wait, what? How?" Kankuro shouted, utterly confused. Rue turned toward him, grinning broadly.  
"In the beginning, when you were simply dodging my hits, you were winning. It's when _you_ hit _me_ that things went downhill for you," Rue explained. "I use something called Shinuyume, which is a jutsu that requires skin to skin contact. It's used to learn your greatest fear. Once I know your fear, I trap you in a Genjutsu where you have to confront that fear."  
Kankuro narrowed his eyes, making Rue chuckle. "Don't worry," he said, "your secret is safe with me." With that, both of the boys jumped back up beside their team mates. Mizure gave Rue a highfive, while Kankuro recieved a...less than enthusiastic welcome.  
"Baka! Now not only have you delayed Gaara's match, but you lost too!" an angry blonde women yelled, giving him a solid thunk on the head.

"Sasuke Uchiha Vs. Gaara of the Sand," the proctor called out. A hush went over the crowd, all stricken silent by the anticipation staining the air. Mizure looked behind her, noting the absence of the Uchiha boy.  
"Dammit teme, where are you?" Naruto growled. Mizure glanced over at him, worry creasing her brow. If Sasuke didn't show, her match was next. Or worse yet, what if they made her stand in for Sasuke, since she was the next contestant? Certainly they wouldn't...  
"Sasuke Uchiha?" the proctor called again. Silence. Genma grimaced, then disappeared from view. Probably asking the opinion of the Hokage.  
"Hey Naruto, why are you here but not Sasuke? Aren't you team mates?" Mizure asked.  
"We didn't show up together. He went through special training with Kakashi Sensei," he replied gruffly.  
'What? Special training? Doesn't sound very fair,' she thought. "Oh," she said. "Well, I hope he shows."  
The proctor appeared in the center of the arena, announcing a 5 minute waiting period.  
"Heh. Of course they'd make an acception for an Uchiha," Rue scoffed. Though she didn't want to, she had to agree. She didn't like Sasuke. And nobody should get special treatment, not because of their lineage.  
In a cloud of smoke, a raven haired boy appeared, accompanied by a silver haired Jonin. But Mizure was no longer paying attention. Once again, terrible images bombarded her conscious, leaving her dumbstruck.

_"Akane-Sama! Please don't do that!" the voice of a nervous teacher shrilled. _  
_"Why not? It's not that far from the ground," a young Mizure laughed, swinging her legs from the branch she sat on. _  
_"P-please come down!" the teacher was making a spectacle now, holding her arms out for the 6 year old to jump into. _  
_"No. Uza-Chan climbed a tree yesterday and you just sat on your lazy rump," she spat, crossing her arms._  
_"Uza-Chan is different," the teacher insisted._  
_"Different? Uza-Chan and I are alike. If anything, I'm better at tree climbing," the girl huffed, tossing her long white hair._  
_"Yes. You're very good at climbing trees dear...just..."_  
_"No! Don't just repeat what I say to appease me!" she screamed, red eyes flashing. The teacher flinched, but still held her arms out. Realization dawned on the small girl, and she uncrossed her arms._  
_"Don't...look at me like that," she whimpered. Her teacher glanced up in surprise._  
_"Don't look at me and see an Akane. I'm not different," a tear rolled down her pale cheek, dripping like rain onto the head of her astonished teacher._  
_"I feel too," she whispered._

"Mizure! Mizure snap out of it!" a voice called. A hand shook her shoulder until light came back into her eyes. She looked around her, noticing complete and utter destruction. The arena was in shambles and the crowd was sleeping.  
"W-what the hell happened?" she wondered aloud, blinking rapidly.  
"You zoned out or something. I had to release the jutsu for you, you were almost asleep. That guy went nuts, and the Sand is attacking," he rushed, gripping her shoulder tightly. Mizure shook her head violently, clearing her mind of the foreign memory.  
"We have to get out of here!" she cried, standing.  
"No! We have to help," Rue said, standing still.  
"Wha- Rue this battle doesn't involve us!"  
"I told you I'd die for this mission! No pathetic village like the Sand is gonna get in the way of my goal!" he shouted. Mizure bit her lip, glaring up at him.  
"Don't argue with him. Humor him, if only this one time," she heard behind her. She turned, seeing Tamake standing there, jaw set.  
"And if this is the last time?" she inquired.  
"So be it," Rue answered.  
She looked back and forth between the two, noticing grim determination. "Fine then!" she cried, throwing her hands into the air.  
They jumped into the arena together, fighting their way into the stands.  
"Mizure!" a familiar voice called out her name. Naruto stood beside a gaping hole, surrounded by several other contestants and a ninja hound.  
"We're going after Gaara and Sasuke. How 'bout it?" he grinned, like the whole thing was a joke.  
"I'm in," she said, taking a step forward. She paused, glancing behind her. Her comrades shook their heads.  
"Please?" she mouthed, pleading with her eyes.  
"Good luck," Tamake winked.  
Rue stepped forward, kissing her cheek tentatively. "Be careful," he said, and jumped away from her, followed closely by Tamake.  
"You ready?" Tamake asked, smirking like a devil.  
"Bet I can kill more than you," he challenged.

He put several people under his jutsu, just like that, with a touch of his hand. "Cheater!" Tamake cried, impaling several more with ninja stars.  
It went on like that for awhile, both counting their kills in their heads.  
"I've never seen a jutsu like yours young man. But I bet you can't touch me with it," a voice mocked Rue.  
Above him, a man stood with half of his face concealed by a mask. The man who had accompanied the sand siblings no doubt.  
"You wanna fight? I'm flattered really," Rue said, lunging towards him. The man gracefully dodged, catching the boy by the wrist and pinning him down.  
"Skin to skin contact asshole," Rue grinned as his body turned into a large beast.  
"Such a wonderful imitation of the Shukaku. However, that's all it is. An imitation," the man growled, easily releasing the jutsu.  
Still pinned beneath the leering man, he could only scream in frustration.  
"Fuck...you," he gasped out.  
"Cocky until the end, huh brat?" the man mocked, pulling out a kunai and aiming for the throat.  
Rue closed his eyes, waiting for the final blow to be received...


	9. Lost Souls

As Mizure stared up at the intimidating figure of Shukaku, her mouth went dry.  
Only minutes earlier, Shikimaru had stayed behind to fight pursuing ninja, and even her opponent, Shino, had fought Kankuro, who had been defeated by Rue.  
In comparison to the nervousness she felt during the final stage of the exams, her fear now was unbearable. Never before had she seen a beast like Shukaku. She'd learned very breifly about them in the academy, but even then it was limited information.

_"Does anybody know what a tailed beast is?" the teacher asked, eyes roving over her students. Not a hand was raised. The woman sighed, thinking she had to have been stuck with the most incapable bunch of several hundred students available._  
_"Nobody? Really?" Silence met her ears, and she placed a hand on her hip in frustration._  
_"Very well then, we'll start with the basics. There are nine tailed beasts, each of them different creatures. They are very powerful, understand? Most of them are sealed in something called a Jinchuuriki, which is a human vessel. However, human bodies are very fragile things, and at times parts of the beasts can escape the Jinchuuriki, making it's host impossibly strong," she said, satisfied with the information she'd given her students. A young girl in the front row slowly raised a pale hand._  
_"What?" her teacher snapped._  
_"Why are we learning about this?" she asked, red eyes inquiring._  
_Her teacher smiled slyly._  
_"It's because, my dear, these things exist in this day and age. It's not completely implausible that you will meet one. It's my job to warn you, that these things seem completely human. But they're not. Don't trust them."_

In front of her eyes, one of these inhuman monsters was fighting to the death with her ally. Her friend. Yet, there was nothing she could do about it. Naruto had somehow summoned a giant frog, but would that be enough?  
"Mizure! Sakura, get Sakura!" Naruto yelled down at her. Mizure focused her attention on the pink haired girl in front of her, who was currently secured to a tree by the hand of Shukaku. Every few minutes, it's grip on her grew tighter.  
Mizure tore a kunai from the trunk of a tree and jumped to where Sakura lay trapped. She ripped at the sandy flesh, to no avail. It regenerated itself every time.  
"It's no use," a deep voice said from behind her. She turned, glaring at the wounded Sasuke perched on a branch.  
"Shut up! It wouldn't have happened like this if you could control your damn bloodlust Uchiha!" she yelled, spitting his name from her mouth as though it left a bad taste.  
He grunted, but stayed quiet as she continued to fail at freeing his team mate.  
She paused, panting heavily and resting on the same branch as him. Her choppy white hair had fallen from it's band long ago, and stuck to her sweating body. Between strands of hair, he could make out some kind of sign on the back of her shirt.  
'Why does that look so familiar?' he wondered, crawling closer to her. He gripped her arm weakly, but hard enough she turned around in alarm.  
"Sasuke?" she asked, crimson eyes swirling in confusion.  
"Where...did you get that shirt?" he asked.  
"None of your damn business!" she yelled, yanking her arm away from him.  
"That crest...you're the same as _her_," he whispered. Mizure's eyebrows knitted together in anger and revulsion. If by her he meant...  
"How the hell would someone like you have ever laid eyes on my family's crest before?" she spat, inching further from his intense glare. Her head swam, and she vaguely felt herself falling. 'What the hell?' she thought, 'not this again!'

_Seven years old. She turned seven years old today. As a present, she'd gotten a new doll from her caretaker. She sat playing with it in the living room, brushing it's shiny golden hair and humming softly to herself. Hanging from her neck was a necklace her sister had sent the day before._  
_'I've got a mission, so I won't be able to visit. Here's an early gift,' the card read. It was a pretty necklace, with a silver quarter moon attached to a black leather strip. It tied neatly in a knot behind her neck, and the charm laid just above her collar bone. She ran her small fingers over it absent mindedly. She'd only just woken up, and her long hair was still not brushed. It tumbled down her back in a tangled mess, ratty in comparison to the smoothness of her new doll's hair. In the background, she could hear her father screaming about something. He'd been on edge ever since her sister had sent the gift instead of visiting._  
_"That damn Uchiha!" her father screamed. His voice shook the glass windows of the room, and Mizure paused her hair brushing to listen._  
_"He thinks he can get away with this? He thinks he can just spirit my daughter away and I won't put up a fight?" he yelled, even louder._  
_"Uchiha?" Mizure wondered aloud, tasting the name. It was like tin in her mouth. _  
_"Sir, please calm down. You knew there was the chance of this happening when you allowed her to study abroad," the nervous voice of her caretaker pierced through the thin paper doors. Mizure's head automatically swiveled in the direction of that voice. She got up, and the doll fell from her lap, breaking apart on the floor. Mizure didn't pay much attention to it, her Uba-Chan would fix it later. She walked across the cold wooden floor, peeking through the slit in the flimsy doors separating the main room from that of her father's. _  
_"Silence wench! You dare order me to do anything?" he screamed, hitting her across the face with the back of a calloused hand. Mizure winced, tripping back a few steps. He only hit when he was truly angry. She wasn't sure she wanted to know what about, especially if it involved the Uchiha. Father didn't like the Uchiha._  
_"Father?" she called tentatively. His silhouette became more distinct as he neared the screen door, snapping it open. As he glared down at her, she peered behind him, watching carefully as her Uba-Chan pulled herself off the floor. Once she was sure the poor woman was fine, she met her father's eyes, plastering on a sweet smile. His expression didn't soften, as it usually did. If anything, it hardened, making him seem even more enraged._  
_"You look...so much like them," he murmured stiffly. She stepped closer, reaching for him. Her red eyes gazed up at him with child-like innocence and trust as her hand stopped short. The man gripped a fist full of her long snowy hair in one hand, and a small pocket knife in the other._  
_"Father? What are you doing?" she asked, struggling minutely._  
_"Holding you still," he sneered._

As she woke up, the first thing she thought was that the world really needed to slow down. Then she realized she was being carried by a man in a white suit, his head and face covered completely.  
'Medic nin,' her brain recognized. The second thing she thought was that she didn't understand any of the dreams that were coming to her, nor what they meant. The people looked familiar, but she never remembered her father ever being so violent. She didn't remember her sister ever missing her birthday either.  
"You're awake. We found you passed out at the battle scene," the medic nin carrying her said. She looked up, squinting her eyes from the sunlight peering through the branches overhead.  
"Naruto?" she asked weakly. The man smiled down at her gently.  
"He's fine. He brought down the Sand's weapon actually. Not sure how," he told her, muttering the last part.  
"Oh. Okay," she said.  
As they entered what was left of the village, Mizure was shocked at the vast damage. Nearly everything was in ruins, and there were hundreds milling about, unsure of what to do, or where to go. If it hadn't been for her weak state, Mizure might have been physically taken aback. But as it was, she could only stare numbly.  
"This is where I'm dropping you off. You don't have any wounds I could see, but if you need further assitance, ask another medic nin," the man carrying her said as he gently sat her upright against the remains of a building, then sped away.  
Mizure sat still, watching as countless shinobi flitted from place to place, helping trapped or injured citizens.  
"They look busy. They won't have time to help an outsider," she decided, putting a hand against the wall to help her as she slowly got to her feet. A bout of dizziness hit her, and she'd have fallen if not for two strong hands gripping her hips.  
"Mizure," a deep voice said. She looked up, happiness suddenly flooding her as she caught a flash of honey eyes.  
"Tamake! You're okay!" she laughed, reaching up to hug him. He pushed against her hips, holding on tight enough she didn't fall. At arms length she could only grab onto his shoulders and peer curiously up at him.  
"Tamake?" she asked, voice trembling.  
"I am...so sorry," he whispered, sinking to the ground. She followed, mostly because she had to. His hands tightened on her, bruising already tender flesh.  
"What did you do?" she growled, suddenly very aware of everything that could have gone wrong while she was away.  
"_Nothing_," he hissed. "I did _nothing_. That's the problem." Just like that, he let go of her, and ran away. Without him holding her up she fell forward, barely keeping her torso above the ground with what little upper body strength she had left.  
By the time Iratai found her, Mizure's head was spinning with confusion and terror. "What happened?" she cried as her sensei approached. He sighed, bending down to look at her with sad eyes.  
"You know, I don't think that boy hated Rue as much as he said he did. The way he held him..." he trailed off as he relived the lost moment.

_As the kunai pierced through the boy's throat, blood spattered everywhere, staining his white shirt, soaking his raven hair, and the ground underneath him. Neither Iratai nor Tamake noticed the action until it was too late. Even then, they didn't move. They had their own opponents, and neither believed the boy was truly dead. He was the best of the best. _  
_The man wielding the kunai smiled as he bent over the body and plucked the weapon away from the still bleeding throat of the dead child. He'd been too surprised to react probably. In the end, he didn't even put up a fight._  
_"Make a fool of my student will you?" he sneered, loping away to find a more entertaining game._  
_"Rue!" Tamake called over his shoulder, simultaneously swiping at a bloodied opponent. "He's gone now, quit playing." A nearby building exploded, sending rubble flying in all directions. Tamake flew to Rue, snatching him up and dumping him uncerimoniously in a safer spot._  
_"Rue," he said again, kicking him in the side. He was met by unblinkng onyx eyes. "Rue?" he asked, voice almost pleading now. Iratai finished off yet another sand ninja, and sprinted to Tamake's side._  
_"What's going on?" Iratai asked, staring down at his student._  
_"He won't fuckin' wake up," Tamake growled, kicking his comrade even harder, aiming for the ribs._  
_"Kicking won't do any good," the old man said, shaking his head._  
_"Eh? Whaddya mean?" golden eyes peered at him anxiously. He already knew the answer._

"He's dead," Iratai answered her blatantly.

_Tamake dropped to his knees, letting out a heartbreaking scream. He crawled to his team mate, his rival of many years, and pulled his body up. He cradled the boy's head to his chest and held it there, unmoving._  
_"Tamake. If you don't move..." Iratai started._  
_"I don't care!" he shouted, tears pouring down his face. Iratai stepped back, completely understanding. A rival...is the closest thing to a best friend a ninja would allow himself to have._

For Mizure, there would be no tears shed. She didn't know Rue that well. He was a friend, a comrade. Nothing more. In their line of work, people died every day. That didn't mean she wasn't saddened of course. In fact, she was devasted.  
"Dead? How...?"  
"He was overconfident. A sand ninja killed him before he even had time to react."  
Iratai winced as she slumped over, burying her face into the crook of her arm. "He was my friend," she muttered.  
"Then cry," he shrugged.  
"No."  
He turned on his heel, preparing to walk away. Two little hands held tight onto his leg. He looked down at Mizure's small figure, noting her weak grip and dull eyes. He raised an eyebrow in questioning.  
"Who?" she asked, hands trembling even as she gripped him tighter.  
"What do you mean chitling?" he asked.  
"You know damn well what I mean!" she cried. "Who killed him?"  
He frowned at her before prying her hands away from him and continuing.  
"Don't you walk away from me!" she screeched, drawing the attention of just about everybody there, busy or not.  
Without turning, he answered, "You've met Sasuke Uchiha, yes?" She nodded, though he didn't see. "Do you want to be like that? Consumed by revenge? I can see it in that boy's eyes, how blood thirsty he is. How power hungry. Do you want to be like that?"  
"I'll do anything. He sacrificed his life for his goal. I'll sacrifice everything I am for him," she growled.  
"Did he die for nothing then?!" Iratai's voice pierced through the air. Mizure flinched, drawing herself back automatically.  
"If you care so much for your fallen team mate, then carry his soul on your back," he said, then disappeared, leaving Mizure more confused than she had been before.

**Saige-Chan here! So yes...Rue is seriously dead. He's not coming back. Dead. Also, if anybody is wondering, Uba-Chan literally translates into 'nanny.' So...bye!**


	10. Fun Facts 2

**Hello there :D So, this is another chapter explaining things on questions you may or may not have. I'll probably do these after every serious chapter, or when I think about questions people might have. If you don't want to read it, skip it :P**

****1. Is Rue really dead?

**Yes. Yes he is ****_really_**** dead people. Stop asking.**

****2. What's up with Mizure's weird dreams?

**Well, these are memories that Mizure is receiving that she doesn't quite remember happening. More about that will be revealed later.**

****3. What's up with Tamake's bipolar relationship issues?

**Tamake and Rue had the kind of relationship Naruto and Sasuke do, in the early stages. They understood each other better than anybody else, have more or less the same ideals, but are 'rivals'.**

****4. Why was Iratai acting different in the last chapter?

**Iratai is one of those ninja with a lot of secrets. More than likely, the cheery act is just a facade. Not saying he isn't friendly, he is. He's just got a lot more emotions than happy is all.**

****5. What's Mizure's story? Why is she having these flashbacks, and why do they knock her out?


	11. A New Ally

As the last piece of wood was nailed into place, Mizure finally reached up to swipe at the sweat that had gathered at her brow. From 6:00 A.M that morning to the hazy afternoon of the present, she had worked alongside several of the villagers rebuilding shops and houses. Iratai had been doing the same, sometimes with her and sometimes so far away she could no longer hear his cheerful whistling. They weren't helping out because they were particularly nice people. It was because they had yet to hear from the Academy providing further instructions. As the people around her moved on to another house, she hesitated. She hung back, wavering between following them and collapsing on the ground where she stood. She compromised with herself and trailed after them about halfway before veering off and letting her body fall onto sweet, soft grass. It had been quite some time since the attack, and the end of Rue's life. The Leaf's Hokage had also died, fighting a man Mizure knew all too well about. Orochimaru. The snake had crept up on them, blinding the Sand and then leading them off a cliff. The aftermath resulted in the loss of both of their Kages'. It was his fault that her team mate had died. And the Sand's too, for being so ignorant. As much as she tried to remember Iratai's words, she couldn't help but yearn for revenge. Whenever she thought of him a hollow pain echoed in her chest. But it was accompanied by a tight ball of fury resting in the pit of her stomach. She'd never wanted to kill so badly in her life.  
"Hey," a lazy voice drawled, slurring her thoughts. She cracked an eye open to spy a bored looking boy standing above her. His hair was swept up in a ponytail too short to lay on his neck. Instead it stuck straight up, spiky in appearance. For a fleeting moment she imagined his head as a pineapple before shaking the image from her head.  
"You're Shikamaru, of the Nara clan." It was more of a statement than a question.  
"And you're Mizure Akane. One of the final contestants, right?" he replied. She nodded her head, pursing her lips into a thin line. He laid down next to her, pining his arms behind his head, and closed his eyes.  
"Been quite a flurry of activity lately, huh?" he asked. She had a feeling he wanted her to leave, but was making polite conversation nontheless. She must have wandered his territory. But she _had_ been there first.  
"Yes, there has," she answered, followed up by a yawn, as if to emphasize that point.  
"Mizure Akane?" an unfamiliar voice interrupted them. She sat up, sighing.  
"I am she," she answered, watching as a man of Chunin rank hovered nervously above her.  
"Lady Hokage requests your prescence." Ah yes, Lady Tsunade. Naruto had gone on a journey not too long before then with one of the legendary Sannin himself. When they got back, they had that woman in tow. Everybody seemed more at ease now that she was there though, which suited her just fine. The only thing that confused her was why they all depended on this one person so desperately. It must have been a terribly tough job.  
"Okay," she said, allowing the man to grasp her hand and pull her to her feet. "Bye," she called over her shoulder. She recieved a half-hearted wave in return before Shikamaru rolled onto his side and attempted to take a nap.

Once inside the Hokage's office, her guide bowed and promptly left.  
"Hello Chitling," Iratai greeted her. Mizure's eyes roamed over the room, and she stiffled a sigh when she found not a trace of Tamake. He hadn't been back since the attack on Konoha. It seemed so far away, making it feel as though Tamake had been gone a millenium. If luck was on their side, he had gone back to the Academy. And yet, Mizure had a sinking feeling that she wouldn't see Tamake again in a long time, if ever.  
"Hello Iratai," she answered, ambling towards the old man and sticking close to his side. The woman sitting behind the desk was...busty, to put it nicely. She had blonde hair that lay in loose pigtails on either side of her bossom, and her nails were painted a bright red.  
"Miss Akane," the woman welcomed her politely.  
"Lady Tsunade," Mizure said, bowing at the waist.  
"Now then, enough with the chitchat. Let's get down to business," she said, leaning further over the desk. "I've been told you've gone through quite the ordeal. One team mate dead and the other missing," she said. Mizure swallowed thickly, taken by surprise at the bluntness of the statement. She nodded, inching subconsciously closer to Iratai, her instincts begging her to hide from this terrifying woman.  
"We're putting up a Memorial Stone to honor those who died during the attack. With your permission, we'd like to put Rue's name on it," she told them, voice softening. Mizure's head snapped up, shock written plainly across her face.  
"Why? He's not-"  
Tsunade held up a hand, silencing her. "Dying for a village not your own...is a foolish thing to do. But it's also very admirable, and I won't let such valor go unnoticed." Mizure's eyes overflowed with grateful tears, and she found herself kneeling on the floor, her resolve not to cry crumbling. Iratai crouched next to her, patting her shoulder and murmuring his thanks to Tsunade, who only stared down at them.  
"That is not the only business I have with you, however," she said suddenly. Her voice startled Mizure's tears away, and she wiped at the droplets still clinging to her cheeks. Besides the red puffiness surrounding her eyes, one would never have known she had been crying.  
"What else is there to tell?" Iratai asked, dragging Mizure up by the elbow. Tsunade turned towards one of the elders, who whispered something in her ear. She nodded, returning her gaze to the outsiders standing before her.  
"It has been confirmed by myself and several other trusted advisors, that we would like accept the treaty put forth by your oraganization, Nazomi. A woman named Kaide will be here tomorrow to confirm this, and cosign the document." Mizure's heart leapt to her throat at the sound of her Sensei's name. She would be here tomorrow to congratulate Mizure on her first serious mission accomplished.  
Tsunade waved her hand, dismissing them. In a flash Iratai and the elders were gone, leaving Tsunade to flip through various piles of paperwork covering her desk. Mizure stood awkardly in front of her, switching her weight between her feet and folding her hands behind her back.  
"Um..." she started, unsure of herself. The Hokage glanced up, raising an eyebrow.  
"Yes?" she asked. Mizure thought back to the conversation she'd had with Naruto earlier that week.

_"And the first thing she did was go into the hospital and start healing people! She even healed Sasuke!" the orange clad ninja cried, waving his hands all around. Considering Sasuke's illness stemmed more from a mental illness at the hands of the Mangekyo Sharingan, it was quite a feat._  
_"And to think you're the one who brought her back," she complimented him, smiling as he blushed and grinned abashadly._

Supposedly this woman could do anything. Mizure hoped the rumours she heard weren't just that-rumours.  
"Well, I've been having a bit of a problem...people say you're a medical expert, so I was hoping maybe you might know what to do," she rushed out.  
"Care to elaborate?" the Hokage asked, shifting in her seat and giving the red eyed girl her full attention.  
"Well, I've been having these visions," she started, eyes darting around the room apprehensively. "They seem like memories. Memories of me, actually. But I don't recall the events ever happening. Does that make sense?" Tsunade nodded. "It wouldn't be so hard to ignore except for the fact that they just randomly happen, and they knock me out cold. The last few times it happened, I was in dangerous situations," she finished.  
Tsunade turned away from her, stalking a few papers together. "As it is, I'm pretty busy. However, I encourage you to seek medical attention after you've returned home, especially if it could interfere with your future missions." Mizure nodded, bowed one last time, and left. She couldn't help but worry though. If Tsunade herself couldn't find time to deal with it, would it be an easy job for the second rate medic nin at the Academy?

She stood on a raised platform, doing her best to smile. To her right was Iratai, who stayed close to her, almost shielding her from the penetrating stares. The new Hokage had called an assembly, mandatory for all Shinobi, including Genin. Towards the back she could make Naruto, who was struggling to jump above the taller Shinobi in front of him to wave at her. She waved back, letting him know she could see him. She could also see the spiky ponytail of the boy she met earlier. She wondered briefly if he recognized her or not.  
To her left, also standing beside the Hokage, was a tall woman with long dark hair. Her short blue dress was covered by a black knit shawl that hung above her knees. Her forresty green eyes were penetrating as they roved over the Leaf's forces. She smiled tightly, seemingly pleased with the number and strength Nazomi was gaining. Mizure looked up at her Sensei in awe. She always seemed so in control, even now as her cold gaze was met with glares from the audiance of ninja.  
"Everyone, if you would please be silent. And Naruto, stop hopping around back there!" Tsunade's voice rang out. His blonde head disappeared from view, a sure sign that Sakura had yanked him down. "Thank you. I'm sure you're wondering why such a large assembly was called. I don't believe something like this has happened in quite some time," she said, crossing her arms over her abnormally large chest.  
"Get on with it Granny Tsunade!" Naruto called. This earned him a well aimed punch from Sakura, and a good kick from Sasuke.  
"Anyways, I'm sure most of you are well aware of the organization Nazomi. They've become quite well known in the past few years and so, we the Leaf, have agreed to join forces with them." An uproar followed the statement, several ninja shouting words of protest. Mizure shrank away, hiding behind the tall frame of Iratai. She hated large crowds, or noises as loud as these. It seemed as though they wanted to fight the union tooth and nail.  
"Shut up!" Tsunade shouted, and the arguments died down. "I realize why some of you would have a problem with this arrangement," she said, voice level. "But look at Konoha! Do you see your home, in shambles? We could be attacked at any moment! We _need_ Nazomi's help." There was absolute silence as the Leaf ninja soaked this up. Understanding flashed in a few eyes, while others set their jaws, refusing to acknowledge their weakness. "I'm doing this for my home, and to protect those who live there with me," Tsnuade finished. She turned to Mizure's Sensei, motioning her forward. She stepped closer, so that only a breath lay between them.  
"Here it is," she said, smiling smugly. With a flourish of her hand, Tsunade signed her name and stood back.  
"Kaide of Nazomi will be cosigning the document. If there are any questions, feel free to ask her." Kaide took the pen from Tsunade's hand and slowly signed her own name.  
"Konoha," she said, facing the disgusted stares before her, "Please accept our heartfelt protection." She spread her arms out, as if embracing the crowd. "And to make the deal sweeter, I offer you a gift." Tsunade tensed at the words, seemingly prepared for anything.  
'Hmph. Not even the Hokage trusts a treaty she accepted herself,' Mizure thought.  
"Oh my, don't seem so restless my dear ally. It's truly a harmless gift. Well, for now anyways," Kaide said, grinning. She held her hand out to Mizure, who hesitated slightly, confusion staining her features. With a nudge from Iratai she acceptd her Sensei's outstretched hand. The woman dragged her forward. "This is Mizure Akane. She's the best we have. Take her," Kaide said, shoving her outward. She stopped in the middle, between the two women, and looked back at her Sensei with doe eyes, afraid and bewildered. Then to Tsunade, who was just as perplexed as she was. The Hokage looked behind her at the elders who stood at the edge of the platform. They nodded eagerly, using encouraging gestures. Tsunade reached forward, tugging Mizure close, and held her in front of her, gripping her shoulders. A shocked silence from the surrounding Shinobi was louder to her ears than the angry shouts had been.  
"Akane, welcome home," the woman murmured as cheers erupted from the crowd.


	12. Final Goodbye

**Yo, Saige-Chan here! This chapter will be short, almost filler-ish. But it does hold important information such as her goodbyes and living arrangements ^_^ So...enjoy. Or not. I'm a lowly Fanfic writer, not a dictator o.O**

As Mizure stood on the stage, the blonde Hokage gripping her shoulders, she looked out into the crowd, attempting to catch a glimpse of Naruto. She didn't know why, or how, but she wanted the orange ninja to somehow comfort her. However, at the moment that was near impossible. The small form of Naruto was engulfed by the audience of cheering ninja, so that not even the top of his spiky blonde head could be seen.  
The Shinobi below her had gone ballistic, waving around and making a loud, deafening roar as one. A few even went so far as to reach up and brush her ankles with their fingertips. She shrunk away, nearly toppling Tsunade as she went backwards.  
Why were they so enthusiastic anyways? Were they so sick that they embraced the idea of taking a child as a _gift_? She looked up at the woman tightly grasping her shoulders. Her hands slid to Mizure's elbows as she pushed her hurriedly offstage.  
"Never thought one of them would come back, let alone stay," she mumbled low enough the child couldn't hear. "Sure as _hell_ never thought we'd receive one as a _gift_."  
Mizure glanced back at her teachers as she was pushed away. Kaide Sensei smiled and waved, every once and awhile offering a shooing gesture, as though she were encouraging Mizure to venture into the unknown. Iratai stood beside her, his head tilted, as though he were also confused.  
"You didn't tell me about _this_," he whispered fiercely to the sly woman beside him.  
"I was given specific instructions not to trust you with anything. Not among the Leaf," she whispered back, smiling at him like a cheshire cat.  
As Mizure neared the edge of the stage, one of the elders swept her arm out, quickly enveloping the small girl in the sleeve of her robe. She gratefully tucked herself in, overjoyed to be partially hidden from the cold, pale lavender stares of the group nearest her. Once more she glanced back at her two teachers as she was led away, confused tears pricking her eyes. What was going on? She couldn't tell. She could only hope the Leaf's leader could explain to her what her own leader had not.

Once inside the Hokage's office Mizure let loose with a jumble of questions.  
"Why? How could she do this? Why were they all so happy?" the words flowed from her mouth, after which she choked on a sob. Tsunade closed her eyes and bowed her head, wondering if it was safe to tell the distraught child the truth. She rested her chin on a fist, and slowly opened her golden eyes to gaze down at her.  
"I suppose I should start at the beginning. The founders of Konohakagure and the founders of Nazomi were at odd ends in the early years of the Leaf Village. Some long dispute over a clan whom both wanted to obtain. Eventually the clan leader, Tamotsu, decided it was safer for his people to live in a Shinobi protected village, as opposed to a group of nomads. They were quite valued by the Leaf, having a power like no other. I remember them actually, when I lived here as a child. The clan leader left some twenty years ago after the death of his wife. Several members were permitted to stay, after the fervent begging of the fourth Hokage. But after an...incident with the Uchiha five years ago, they've left for good."  
"What does this have to do with me?" Mizure asked as the story came to an end.  
"That clan was called the Akane. Not only do you possess their name, but also quite a few of their characteristics. People might have assumed you were from that clan, and got excited at the prospect of one with such abilities returning. Kaide must have undoubtedly known this and used you to strengthen our weak treaty. Whether or not you are actually from that specific clan is neither here nor there."  
Mizure stared up at the woman through slitted eyes. "In other words, I was used?" she asked through gritted teeth. Tsunade nodded impassively.  
"I'll kill her!" she shouted, red eyes blazing. She stood abruptly, letting the chair she was seated in crash onto the floor behind her.  
"She's already gone."  
"What?!"  
"I'm sure she's already departed," Tsunade informed her, and Mizure slumped onto the floor, crossing her legs and gazing hopefully back up at her new leader. The woman sighed, resigned. "You may see if she's already through the gates. If not, speak to her. No violence." Mizure was out the door before she finished. Tsunade sighed yet again, rubbing her temples where a migraine was starting. "She'd better not do anything stupid," she muttered.

Mizure rushed through the winding streets, picking up her pace at the sight of two figures retreating out of the main gates.  
"Wait!" she called, waving her hand in the air. Both figures turned as she approached, one resting a manicured hand on her hip and the other wringing his hands, as though expecting the worst kind of confrontation.  
"Yes, child?" her former Sensei answered, sickly sweet.  
"Not you," her student answered, brushing past the now frowning woman. "Iratai?" she asked, and that was all it took.  
"I'm sorry," he said, reaching for her hands. She allowed him to take them, relishing in their warmth. His hands engulfed hers, and he slid to his knees in front of her, openly pleading for forgiveness. "Not just for this. For everything. I'm sorry to you, and Tamake...Rue. You trusted me to keep you safe and I betrayed that trust." He held her hands closer to him, kissing her fingertips. "I have been closer to you three than any other students...and yet I have allowed only you to slip from my grasp," he told her, closing his eyes so he didn't have to meet her crimson red glower.  
And yet, she felt no malice towards him. She did not hate him, not like she thought she would have. The feeling bubbling up inside her was one she was feeling often these days; sorrow. For herself. For Rue, rest his soul. For Tamake, wherever he was. And for Iratai, who was just as much a pawn in this game as she was.  
"There's nothing to forgive," she whispered hoarsely. He looked up at her, bewildered at her words.  
"Oh, you're not angry Mizure? That's a first," Kaide mused, not one to be forgotten. Mizure ignored her anyways.  
"You did what you had to. Rue was ready to die for this mission, eerily so. Take care of yourself, Sensei," she said, pulling her fingers from his grasp. She walked away, not having said all she wanted to say, but satisfied nontheless.  
"Has business been taken care of?" a young man asked as he fell into step with her. She nodded, and he led the way in silence.

Before long a mess of buildings came into view.

"Lady Hokage has prepared arrangements for you to stay in an apartment suited for a single person," he told her, gesturing to the two story buildings that sat together in a clump. The man dismissed himself as she climbed the stairs to her apartment, number 304. As far as she could see, no people lived in the rooms adjacent to her own. In fact, it seemed not many lived in the complex at all. The only signs of life she could see that night was the obnoxious snoring of whoever inhabited the place across from her...

**I bet you can all guess who her neighbor is eh? Wink wink, nudge nudge.**


	13. A Past Better Forgotten

_Two people, a man and a woman, stood in the corner of a crowded room, whispering amongst themselves._  
_"What has she called us here for?" the woman whispered, leaning in close to her partner._  
_"Knowing Leader-Sama, something important. It's rare for her to personally address anyone, let alone a score of people," he replied gruffly, folding his arms. His withered face held no eagerness, unlike the young woman in his company. His gray hair was pulled into a short, severe ponytail at the nape of his neck, and his matching mustache was combed neat._  
_In comparison, his companion was a wild thing, still young and full of life. Her long dark hair tumbled endlessly down her back, and her green eyes danced with excitement. He wondered how long it would take for her to lose that spark. It never lasted long in anybody, especially in Nazomi._  
_"Be silent," came a ringing voice. Immediately the murmur in the room ceased as a cloaked figure entered the room, toting a young child behind her. Iratai held his breath, recognizing the undeniable characteristics of an Akane child._  
_Their leader pulled the girl to stand in front of her, facing the crowd of people. She cringed from their stares, and Iratai felt his heart wrench. Leader-Sama began to stroke her short white hair, gliding her long fingers through the choppy strands. The child relaxed, letting her frail body fall against the soothing figure. She lifted her head to try to peek into the hood of the cloaked woman, squinting her crimson red eyes, but could see nothing except darkness._  
_'Perhaps, she has no face?' the child wondered as the fingers worked through her hair, and the unfamiliar people continued to stare. She couldn't remember a person that had ever been familiar to her. She was sure there must have been somebody...at least one person whom she loved, and who loved her back, had caressed her in such a way as the mysterious woman did now. But she couldn't bring up a face to match the feeling of recognition. She gave up as the woman began to speak again._  
_"This is-I'm sorry dear what did you say your name was?" she asked._  
_"My name..." she thought hard on that one, trying to match a name to herself. It was hard when she couldn't remember anybody having ever called her a name. Finally, she gave up again, shrugging her shoulders in defeat. "I don't know."_  
_"Mizure," a name was shouted at random. The startled girl jerked her head toward the voice. It was deep, soothing. Almost familiar. It belonged to an old man leaning far away from her, in a corner by a beautiful woman._  
_"Mizure," she repeated the name, liking the way it slid from her lips. "My name is Mizure."_  
_"Very well. Mizure will be staying. Just as the other children, she will need a teacher. The lot of you currently have no student. Do any of you think you can care for Miss Mizure Akane?" Leader-Sama asked, voice tinged with amusement. _  
_Iratai immediately raised his hand, knowing that nobody else could possibly be brave enough to take the child on; not when she was staring out at them with those blood red eyes._  
_"Kaide. I'm not surprised you would take the risk. Collect your new student would you?"_  
_Iratai's hand dropped to his side as he saw his partner glide toward the woman, holding out her hand for the child to take. _  
_'Dammit!' he thought, 'Dammit!'_  
_At first, Mizure shrunk away from Kaide, clutching the long cloak of the woman who had held her so warmly. This new woman was far too...intense. But then Kaide's green eyes softened, and she smiled, genuinely. Only then did Mizure tentatively reach out a pale hand, now trusting the woman with a child like innocence. Kaide bent down to the child's level, resting her other hand on top of her head. _  
_"Hi cutie. I'm Kaide, but you call me Sensei okay? Just Sensei, not Kaide Sensei right? Because I'll be your most respected teacher from here on out, I guarantee it!" She said with a huge smile on her face. Mizure smiled too, glad that this woman was happy to be her teacher, and thrilled she had called her by such a sweet pet name._  
_'This is somebody I can trust,' her mind identified._  
_"I'm not finished with you yet though. You must be very confused right now, hmm?" the woman behind her spoke up. Mizure tilted her head upwards to look at the woman, and nodded her head as best she could in that position._  
_"I can take that confusion away. Would you like that, my child?" Mizure nodded again. She could barely make out the hint of a smile through the darkness of the hood as she leaned over her, placing her hands on either side of the girl's head._  
_"This will only hurt a little," she whispered, softly kissing the girl's forehead._

Mizure woke with a start, tumbling face first off of the couch that had served as her bed. She sat up, rubbing the spot where her head hit the cold hard floor. As she sat, she pondered over yet another odd dream. It wasn't the first since she'd been here her two short weeks. Since then she'd discovered several things.  
1. Naruto was her only neighbor.  
2. He snored. Terribly.  
3. Shikamaru was very good at Shogi.  
4. She'd probably never be able to beat him.  
5. She didn't exactly hate it here.

Especially the last one. In Nazomi, the entire community had worked in seperate leagues. Several people she lived right next to, she'd never once had a conversation with. But here, it was different. It wasn't that everybody knew eachother, but they treated people with a relative kindness. Except Naruto. That's what bugged her. It didn't take a genius to figure out what he was. Yet, despite what her teachers had told her, Naruto wasn't scary. He wasn't a monster. He was her friend.  
Man, it felt good to say that. Friend.  
She thought back to her first night in Konoha, a memory that seemed far away now.

_Mizure tried to get to sleep, truly and honestly. She plugged her ears, covered her head with a pillow. Nothing. The snoring could still be heard._  
_"That's it!" she shouted. She'd gone through hell that day, and she was tired dammit!_  
_She stood, throwing her pillow angrily on the floor. She then marched out her door and across the hall, where she knocked on the door until it opened._  
_"Maybe you're not used to having neighbors, but I'm trying to-Naruto?" she stared at the lanky blonde idiot, who was rubbing his eyes sleepily. They popped open once he caught a glimpse of who was standing in his doorway._  
_"Mizure?" he asked. He then broke out in a wide grin, pulling her into a hug._  
_"Wow! What're you doing here?" _  
_"I live across the hall," she answered. He blinked owlishly._  
_"So...we're neighbors?"_  
_"Looks like it."_  
_He laughed, hugging her again._  
_"Wanna come inside?" he asked._  
_"Not really," she said._  
_"Aw! Why not?" he pouted._  
_"Well, for starters it's 3 a.m.," she answered. He nodded, seeming to accept this answer._  
_"And for another, you're in your boxers." His cheeks reddened as he peered down at his scantily clad lower half._  
_"Oh...um, well. Yeah, good night Mizu-Chan!" he hurried, closing the door._  
_"Try not to snore so loudly!" she called after him. 'Mizu-Chan?' she wondered, blushing at the memory of when Tamake had called her the same thing._

From that point on it had always been the same routine. She got up, brushed her teeth and her hair, and put on clothes; which usually consisted of black shorts, kunai holder and pack strapped on tight, a white thai style shirt with gold trim and a gold sash around her waist bearing her clan's symbol. Then she quickly slid on black sandals and met Naruto outside her door.  
"G'morning Mizu-Chan!" he would say. The nickname had stuck.  
"Good morning, Naruto."  
And then she escorted him to whatever team meeting he had and spent most of her time thereafter at the library. When she was sure it was nearly time for Naruto to return, she left the library and sometimes met up with him, if he was on time, and spent the remainder of the evening with him, eating ramen for dinner. Even if they didn't meet up, the day always ended the same.  
"G'night Mizu-Chan!" he would call.  
"Good night Naruto."  
But not today. Today she woke up earlier than him, getting ready and leaving before his dreams stopped playing in his head.

She walked into the Hokage's office without pausing to speak to the secretary. Lady Tsunade had requested a private meeting with her, as soon as was possible. Surprisingly, the Hokage was already in her office, sorting through a thick stack of documents.  
"Lady Hokage?" Mizure asked, stepping slightly further into the room. Tsunade gestured her closer without looking up from the paper she was signing. Mizure sat down in the chair opposite her, patiently waiting for Tsunade to start the conversation, whatever it was.  
"Do you remember the first time you stepped foot into my office?" she asked, still not looking at her.  
"Yes," Mizure answered. That was the day she'd told them about Rue's name on the memorial stone. Since that time, the stone had been constructed. Rue's name was at the top. She hadn't visited it yet, nor did she have any desire to. She'd already lost her cool more than enough times, she didn't need to be one of those people crying over things that nothing could be done about.  
"You told me about those black outs. Are they still happening?" she asked, voice harmonizing with the scribble of her pen.  
"Yes." She stuck to closed, curt answers.  
"Would you still like me to help with that?" Tsunade asked, finally looking up at her. Mizure flinched, realizing for the first time what people must have felt when she looked them in the eye.  
"I-If you would, Hokage-Sama," Mizure answered, bowing her head and wringing her hands in her lap.  
"Wonderful. Be back here by 2:00 then," she chirped, focusing back on her paperwork.  
"Thank you Lady Tsunade!" Mizure said, running from the room.

She was officially in a good mood as she walked aimlessly through the streets of Konoha, smiling and nodding at everyone that greeted her.  
"You seem happy about something," a voice drawled behind her. She turned, slowing her pace when she saw who it was.  
"I am. Remember the black outs I told you about, Shikamaru?"  
"The 'memories you don't remember'?"  
"Yeah those. Hokage-Sama said she would help me with them," Mizure said, smiling.  
"Ah. That's good," he answered, seeming to genuinely mean it. Mizure remembered the first time she'd actually had a conversation with him.

_She'd dropped Naruto off at the training grounds, where Sasuke and Sakura already waited for him, and their teacher who, according to Naruto, was always late. Sasuke had raised an eyebrow at her, and Sakura had completely ignored her, preferring instead to yell at Naruto for being almost as late as Kakashi._  
_At that point Mizure had just left, trying to block out the girl's screetching voice. She could still feel the Uchiha's eyes on her as she strolled away._  
_"Meh. I'll just go to the library or something I guess," she decided, turning in the direction of the small building. It was made of brick, and the two large oak doors were surprisingly light as she stepped through. To her right were book shelves upon book shelves. Towards the center a librarian sat at a counter, stuck in a book herself. There weren't many people there at all, save for a boy playing a game of solitaire. Upon closer inspection, she realized she recognized him. His dark hair was pulled up in a spiky ponytail and he had dull black eyes. _  
_"Shikamaru," she whispered, walking toward him. He looked up, grinning lazily as she closed in._  
_"Hey. Mizure right?" he asked. She nodded, sitting across from him._  
_"I almost didn't recognize you with the flak jacket on," she mused, eyeing the green material. "It means you're a Chunin now, right?"_  
_"Yeah. I don't really get it myself, I didn't even win my match. But I'm not going to turn down the rank you know?" he chuckled._  
_"Leadership skills," she blurted. He cocked an eyebrow, making her blush and avoid his eyes. "Rue...said that when you gave up, it showed leadership skills," she whispered._  
_"How so?" he inquired, resting his chin on a fist._  
_"Well I guess, because a good leader knows when to quit. If you're a squad leader, you have to know when to push your subordinates or pull back. The decision can mean life or death," she said, quoting from a book she'd read at the Academy._  
_He nodded, seeming to accept this answer. "Anyways, how about a game?" he asked._  
_"Two can't play at solitaire," she pointed out._  
_"Very true. But I brought a Shogi board, just in case," he said._  
_"Really? I love that game! Prepare to get your ass kicked!" she enthused as he set up the board. He only laughed._

Now she realized why he had laughed. She didn't beat him that day, or the day after. The 6 times she'd played him at Shogi, he'd never lost. The last time she had come close to winning, but she assumed he was going easy on her.  
"Did you bring your Shogi board? I have a good feeling about today," she teased. He shook his head, smiling.  
"No. I've got a mission today, I'm sorry." Mizure groaned. Everybody always had missions. Well, maybe it only seemed that way because the only people she ever spent time with were Naruto and Shikamaru.  
"I wonder, after the Hokage helps you with your problem, maybe she'll start sending you on missions too?" he said. Mizure's heart rate picked up as she entertained the idea. Perhaps it was just what she needed to stop feeling so restless? Shogi could only do so much.  
"I hope so," she said, glancing at a wall clock in one of the shops beside her. "It's nearly time for me to meet her now though. Thanks for the chat, good luck on your mission!" she said, hurrying back in the opposite direction.  
He watched her as she went, thinking to himself that she truly was an odd one. Smiling discreetly, he turned and made his way idly to where his team waited.

Mizure ran, excitement propelling her, into the Hokage's office for the second time that day. She ran past the secretary, who didn't even look up, and was almost to the door when a hand gripped her shoulder and yanked her back.  
"Shizune?" Mizure asked, peering into the woman's reprimanding face.  
"You can't just barge into Lady Tsunade's office whenever you please. At the moment, she's got a guest, so sit still and be respectful," she scorned.  
"Shizune, it's fine now. I've set up a meeting with her at this time. And besides, he's already gone," Tsunade said, appearing in the doorway. She looked weary and disheveled, as though the person she'd been talking to wasn't a very agreeable person at all.  
"Alright. Go on then Mizure. But remember what I said," Shizune told her, finally releasing her arm. Mizure nodded before running to Tsunade, who took her by the hand and led her further down the hall.  
She pushed two heavy looking doors open, revealing a large, round room. In the center was a single chair, an I.V next to it. Surrounding the two objects were several medic nin.  
"L-lady Hokage?" Mizure asked.  
"Don't worry. These people are just backups, in case anything goes wrong," she assured her. It didn't make Mizure feel much better. "Sit in that chair," she commanded, watching like a hawk as the girl obeyed. Once seated, a medic nin hooked her up to the I.V, not seeming the least bit concerned at Mizure's small whimper of pain as the needle was shoved carelessly into her skin.  
"What's this supposed to do?" she asked.  
"It will just calm you down a little," Tsunade answered from across the room. The woman strode over to her, pulling gloves on. She kneeled in front of Mizure, then placed two fingers each on either of her temples.  
"What are you doing now?" she asked.  
"Feeling the chakra waves in your brain," she answered in a tone that told the child not to ask anymore questions.  
When she finally stopped, she stood up and walked to the other side of the room, bending her head and exchanging a few hushed words with the other medics there.  
"Mizure," she starts, turning to her. "Judging by what I can feel from your chakra waves, it would appear your memory was sealed off in early childhood."  
"W-what does that mean?" Mizure choked out.  
"Somebody purposely erased your memories and then later planted false ones. In other words, most of the childhood memories you know never happened. What really happened is buried somewhere in your subconscious, but it's still there. It seems that certain things are now triggering them to resurface."  
Mizure nodded, shock preventing her from saying anything.  
"I can call in a specialist to break the seals binding your real memories-"  
"Don't," she interupted.  
"What?"  
"Please...just don't. The memories I have are just fine. I don't want the real ones," she whispered.  
"Mizure, these memories could hold crucial bits of information about your past. From what I've heard, you have almost mastered Dokushingan. I've never been more sure you're from the Leaf's Akane clan. Don't you want to know who your parents are?" Tsunade asked.  
"No. Maybe...maybe there's a reason somebody sealed my memories away. Maybe because they knew I wouldn't want to revisit my past. Please Tsunade...can you re-seal them?" she pleaded.  
"Tsunade sighed, exasperated. "I think you're making the wrong choice. But yes, I can. I can't make you forget the visions you've already seen, but I can stop the rest from coming forth. However, these seals are very complicated. I can do little more than strengthen them, and then I'm not sure how long they'll hold up," she told her.  
"That's fine. The black outs will stop right?"  
"Yes. Now, relax child. This will only hurt a little bit." She pressed her lips to Mizure's forehead, and the world was bathed with darkness like the night sky.


	14. Secrets and Certificates

The darkness didn't last long, or at least not that she could tell. When her eyes opened, Tsunade was standing above her, watching intently with her hands on her hips.  
"Mizure, I need to make sure you understand this. It won't last much longer, maybe a few years at most. Once the foundation is cracked, it can't be perfect again."  
"I know, I know. I'll deal with it when the time comes," she answered groggily.  
"You'll never be able to go far from this village for too long."  
"Where else do I have to go?" She smiled as Tsunade sighed and shook her head.  
"Very well, you've locked your own cage," she answered, waving a hand in dismissal. Mizure walked to the door, pausing as she suddenly remembered.  
"Hokage-Sama, I've been meaning to ask. When will I be able to...you know, go on missions?"  
"Oh yes, I nearly forgot. Now that your problem is fixed, I could probably send you on a few missions. However, your case is a little special. We've never had a Shinobi in your situation, so we've had to invent somewhat of a...special class." Mizure turned to face her, prompting her to go on. "You'll be a Tokubetsu Chunin, meaning you will only go on missions where your specfic skills are requested."  
"Then, I'm promoted to Chunin?"  
"Basically yes, though it's a bit more complicated than that," she told her.

Mizure walked into her small apartment and glared at the Flak Jacket clutched in her hand before throwing it into a closet.  
"Who the hell is going to request me? I'm only twelve, and on top of that an outsider," she complained to herself. She flopped down onto her couch and closed her eyes as she leaned her head back over the end of it so that her short hair hung over, and her bangs fell away from her face.  
"Mizure," she heard, followed by a quick succession of knocks on her front door. She sighed, but got up regardless. She knew who it was, even before she swung open the door to reveal the dopey blonde.  
She gasped as she took in his appearance. A bruised eye, cuts along his face and neck, and a thin trickle of dried blood trailing from his nose. His jacket was in shreds, as were his pants, and his head band hung crookedly over his forehead.  
"What happened?" she asked, instinctually reaching out to him. He caught her hand before it could brush along one of the painful cuts on his face.  
"Sasuke," he said, grinning sheepishly. She pulled him into her apartment, instructing him to sit on the couch she'd previously been lounging on.  
"Did you fight?" she asked as she dug around in an un-opened box for her first aid kit.  
"Kind of...I mean, it's complicated," he answered her.  
'Isn't everything?' she thought.  
"Where were you this morning?" he asked, changing the subject.  
"I went to see Tsunade. She, uh, fixed my problem," she told him.  
"That's great!"  
"Yeah."  
Finally she found what she was looking for and made her way to Naruto. She slid off his destroyed jacket and tossed it to the side before sitting next to him.  
"Let me see," she said softly. He held one of his arms out for her to examine. Her brow furrowed as she noticed how quickly he was healing. The cuts were closing even as she looked at him.  
"I, um, heal pretty fast," he told her nervously, noticing her disturbed expression.  
"I already know. About the nine tails I mean," she said, tone dismissive.  
"You...how?" he asked incredulously. She smiled, wiping at the retreating cuts on his arms. She paused as the alcohol stained cloth came to rest on his cheek, and she looked into his eyes, noticing the startling blue color.  
"I'm not stupid. And maybe people aren't supposed to talk about it here, but I'm not from here. They taught us about you," she said solemnly.  
"What do you...I mean do you..." he stuttered, trying to find the right words.  
"It doesn't bother me."  
"Really?"  
"Yeah."  
She finished by putting a few bandages along his arms and mopped a bit more at the cuts on his face. A few times it would sting him to the point that he would reach down and squeeze her leg, and she'd know to dab at that spot a bit lighter. It was almost nice, to be with eachother without having to talk. It was a comfortable silence, something neither of them had really experienced. Silence was meant to be sad and lonesome, and yet they both felt warm and content. A very odd thing indeed.  
As the pain eased, so did his grip on her, until his hand was just restng on her leg, like it belonged there.  
"Ramen for dinner?" she suddenly asked, looking up to see him smiling brightly at her.  
"Woohoo! Ramen!" he yelled jumping up enthusiastically. Mizure laughed as she stood up, grabbing her keys to lock the door behind her.

It was dark by the time he changed and they'd gotten to the street that cut through the middle of Konoha. Lights hung above shops and houses, lighting their way. Naruto seemed happy enough just to walk leisurely beside her. The lights above them made his hair a lighter shade, and his eyes seemed brighter, if that was possible. As they came upon Ichiraku's, he grabbed her arm and tugged her in, grinning like an idiot as he sat down.  
"Two bowls of Miso flavored ramen Old Man!" Naruto yelled out.  
"Ah, welcome back Naruto," the owner stepped into the kitchen across from them.  
It wasn't unusual that Naruto ordered two or more bowls of ramen for himself, so he thought nothing of it-until he opened his eyes to see the small, serenely pretty girl sitting next to him.  
"Well well, is this a date?" he teased, interrupting their small talk. Naruto's head whipped up, face bright red.  
"Wha-" he started. What neither expected was the answer given to the old man.  
"Yup," came a sweet voice. Both of their faces were priceless as she scooted closer to Naruto, burying her head in the nook of his neck.  
"Ah, I see...I'll just, um," he stuttered, lost for words as he headed back into the kitchen.  
"What'd you say that for?" Naruto hissed at her.  
"Just to see what he'd say," she laughed, glancing up at him with dancing eyes. He laughed too, no longer embarrassed. Mizure ate her ramen, while Naruto wolfed his down. As she ate, she'd sneak glances at him from the corner her eye. His face was messy from the way he was slurping the noodles into his mouth, and he still looked dirty and scuffed up from his earlier fight. And yet, there was just something about him that intrigued her. Maybe it was the way his hair seemed to defy gravity, maybe it was his happy-go-lucky attitude, or his determination. She didn't know.  
As she turned her attention away to finish her food, she couldn't help thinking about what Iratai's reaction to this would be. What he would think of Naruto being her first crush.  
When they finished, Naruto offered to walk her home.  
"Since it's a date and all," he told her, grinning. She laughed and looped her arm through his.  
"As long it's not too out of your way," she answered. They began walking towards the apartments, Naruto chattering about all sorts of useless things. When they were about halfway home, Mizure started to notice something. The villagers were unabashedly staring at them. She could hear several whispers.  
"What's this?"  
"What's the Akane girl doing with him?"  
"This shouldn't be allowed."  
"What a waste of heritage."  
She turned away from the whispers and glares and began to walk faster.  
"Eh? What's wrong Mizure?" Naruto asked as he stumbled along behind her.  
"I'm just...cold. I want to get home soon and warm up," she lied. It was a typically warm night, and they both knew that.  
"Really? Well in that case..." Naruto began to unzip his jacket.  
"No! No, it's okay Naruto, really," she rushed. In all honosty, Mizure wasn't sure where the villagers would draw the line. She didn't want any of them to interfere, or say something hurtful to Naruto. Because then she might get violent.  
"Well...alright," he answered uneasily, zipping his jacket back up. She smiled, relaxing, and slipped her arm back through his.  
'They put me on some kind of pedestal...it needs to stop,' she thought to herself. Back in the Academy she had fought for this kind of attention. Annually there were competitions in which some of the students would face off, just to see who had increased in strength or skill. Her Kekkei Genkai had been thought of as an unfair advantage, and she'd had to go up against students who were older and stronger than her. Truth was, she always used Dokushingan in those battles. She knew her limitations, knew that she shouldn't use it unless her life depended on it. But she pushed herself anyways, because they expected her too. And she had _wanted_ to meet those expectations.  
But now, looking into the eyes of the villagers, seeing their disgust at how close Naruto was to her, she didn't give a damn about what they thought of her. She pulled Naruto closer as they neared the apartments, hoping to keep his attention on her and not on the people around them.  
"G'night Mizu-Chan!" he called to her before opening his door and disappearing inside.  
"Good night Naruto-Kun," Mizure answered softly, trying to mask the undertone of sadness tainting their traditional parting of ways.  
She stepped into her own apartment, asking herself questions she already knew the answers to. Why did the villagers hate him? Because he was the 9 tails. No, not the 9 tails, the vessel. But that didn't matter, nobody cared that he wasn't the demon itself. That was a given, but why did they care that she _did_ understand the difference between them? Becase she was some damn..._savior_ to them. Why couldn't life just be fair? Because nothing is that simple.  
With that, she stops asking why, and lies down.  
"I really...hate those people," she decides.

In the morning, everything was as it always was. She got up, woke him up, and walked him to the small bridge he usually met his team at.  
"I might be gone on this one for a few days," he told her, wincing at her troubled reaction. Her eyebrows knit together and her fists clenched. In the end, she just sighed and hugged him goodbye.  
"I'll miss you," she told him, ignoring Sakura's gaping face and Sasuke's raised eyebrows.  
"You too," he chirped, lifting his bag higher up on his shoulder. She waved until they were out of sight, then turned toward her usual hang out.  
She pushed the doors open, checking to make sure Shikamaru wasn't there. Today, she would be getting answers.  
She walked slowly to the round desk at which the librarian sat, scribbling something down on a peice of paper. She looked up as Mizure approached, a spark of curiosity flaring. She'd seen the girl get beat at Shogi numerous times, and she'd heard the rumours, but the girl had never gone out of her way to speak with her.  
"Um, hi. Do you keep any...records here?" she asked nervously. The librarian gave her a tight lipped smile, nodding.  
"You want something on the Akane Clan?" she asked, though she already seemed to have known. Mizure tentatively nodded, and the librarian pulled a file from a drawer to her right, as though it had been waiting there. "Here is information on the very first Clan Leader to enter Konoha to the last to live here," she told her, handing the file to her. Mizure thanked her and went to sit down at one of the many tables spaced throughout the building. She opened it and glanced at a note that told her the entire thing was organized from the most recent event to the first thing ever recorded there. The first thing she picked up was from about 12 years ago. It was a document declaring the official relocation of the Akane Clan's Head Family to the Hidden Mist.  
"Hokage-Sama mentioned something about this," Mizure murmured to herself. She set the page to the side to look at the next thing there.  
The next was a letter to the Third asking permission for several members of the clan to stay behind as the Akane quarters were rebuilt.  
"Rebuilt?"  
The third document there was a report on the damages done to the Akane quarters after the 9 tails attack.  
"Oh...yeah that would've been around the time it was sealed into Naruto."  
The next were two death certificates with the names Shizuka and Kiko Akane on them.  
Then there was a paper containing a list of the Head Family members updated 21 years ago. Tamotsu, Shizuka, and Kiko Akane.  
"The Leader and his family? Then that's why their death warrants were included. They were members of the Head Family."  
Next there was a document explaining that the jutsu a man named Shinpei created -Kage Bunshin no Jutsu- was added to a list of forbidden techniques, and was not to be practiced any longer.  
Another list of the Head Family members after that. Shinpei, Kiko, Tamotsu.  
"The position of Leader must have been passed down to the first child of the Head Family," Mizure guessed.  
A death certificate for Kiko Akane was after that.  
"The first Kiko too huh?"  
Another list. Shisu, Yumi, Kichi, and Shinpei.  
Death Certificate-Kichi Akane.  
"The women in this family didn't really have great luck did they?" Mizure sighed.  
One last Head Family list with the names Tamotsu, Kiyoko, and Shisu.  
The last paper in the folder was a formal agreement between the First Hokage and the Head of Family at that time, Tamotsu, that the Akane clan would settle in Konoha.  
Mizure closed the folder after putting the pages back in, one by one. Then she walked back to the librarian, who smiled as she approached.  
"Anything else?" she asked. Mizure nodded, swallowing hard.  
"There are death certificates of Head Family members here, but what about the rest of the clan? I mean, didn't you also keep a record of..."  
"Birth Certificates?" the librarian guessed. "Specifically, your birth certificate." Mizure nodded.  
"It won't be there," she told her.  
"What do you mean? Everybody is _so_ certain I'm from the Leaf's Akane clan. Are you saying I'm not?" she asked, voice dripping with sarcasm.  
"That's not what I'm saying at all. You _are_ from the Leaf's Akane clan. Because you _are_ an Akane, and this is the first place they settled down in."  
"Then what..."  
"When is your birthday?" she asked.  
"Um, I've been told October 12th," she answered. Her eyes seemed to widen slightly before she gave Mizure a knowing smile.  
"After October 10th, the Head of Family left. A few of their Shinobi stayed behind, including Tamotsu's eldest daughter Kiko, but most families with children followed them. There are no birth dates recorded from that clan since that day," she told her.  
"Where are the few Shinobi who stayed behind now then?"  
"You saw it for yourself. Kiko is among those in the Head Family who had an untimely death. After she died, they all left," she told her.  
'She must have been greatly respected if they couldn't stand to stay after her death,' Mizure thought.  
"Is there anything not recorded there?"  
"Of course. But nothing I'm supposed to tell," she answered her.  
"If...if I'm truly apart of this clan I deserve to know," she insisted stubbornly.  
"Haven't you noticed for yourself? Wouldn't the Akane Clan be much more famous if every one of them were capable of Dokushingan?"  
"You mean...not all of them are?"  
The librarian shook her head. "Exactly. Even in my day there were very few who could. It wasn't always like that of course...lucky for us, you're one who can," she said, grinning. Mizure suddenly felt sick to her stomach looking at the woman's pleased smile.  
'She planned to tell me this,' Mizure realized before she turned on her heel and ran out the door.

**Tokubetsu Jonin is basically a rank between Chunin and Jonin that means they have a specific skill at Jonin level. I made up Tokubetsu Chunin for Mizure because she doesn't have a team, and I can't just randomly place her into one, as that would screw up the original plot.**


	15. Love Comes From Mutual Pain

It had been nearly a week since her wretched discovery. It hadn't taken long for Naruto to come back from his mission, boasting about how he'd saved Sasuke's ass. Again. An inside joke about the Chunin Exams that she didn't quite catch on to. Sasuke had immediately taken up residence in the hospital. The mission had been, once again, more dangerous than they'd thought.  
Currently Mizure was alone, reclining on her sofa and attemtping to nap. Naruto had gone a few minutes earlier with Sakura to visit Sasuke, an event she would have liked to see. Naruto had, in fact, invited her, but she didn't much like being around the Uchiha.  
She'd almost grabbed the tail of sleep when three curt knocks sounded on her door.  
She sighed before dragging herself up, expecting Naruto back early, probably seething about something Sasuke did or said.  
Instead, she was surprised to find Shikamaru standing before her, one hand scratching at the back of his head and shifting uncomfortably. He was without his Flak Jacket, casually dressed, his hair in the usual ponytail.  
"Hey," he said after a moment of Mizure staring silently at him.  
"Hey," she replied, more out of a sense of obligation than an intent to greet.  
"So," he started. Mizure sighed again, rolling her eyes and suppressing an urge to smile. Typical Shikamaru.  
"Is this going anywhere soon? I've got things to do," she jested. They both knew she had nothing to do. That a visit from anyone would be the highlight of her day.  
"I'm going to Choji's for dinner tonight. Wanna come?" he asked blatantly.  
She blinked once, indicating her surprise. A request like this wasn't expected in the least.  
"Um, sounds great. But...I woudn't want to, you know, intrude," she said uneasily. He shrugged nonchalantly.  
"Nah. His mom is the one that suggested it."  
"Well...alright I guess," she said. It would have been rude to just decline an invitation like this one. And she really wasn't in a position to be offending anybody. "Gimme a minute," she told him, disappearing back into her apartment. She changed into new clothes and ran a brush through unruly porcelain hair, which had grown to brush her shoulders.  
She ducked back out the door, glancing at Shikamaru, who was leaning on the wall opposite her, before she attached a hastily written note to her door. If Naruto came back before her, he would find the piece of paper and know where she was. Then he could be on his merry way without worrying. Or breaking her door down.

On their way to the other side of town, it was silent. Because it was silent, both of them began to notice the stares of the villagers. Mizure attempted to meet each of their gazes with her own. When she succeeded, they looked away. Shikamaru simply ignored them.  
For the most part though, it was the children that constantly irked her. Unlike adults, who knew to keep their heads down and their mouths covered, the children were pretty obvious about their fascination with her. It wasn't just what they heard from parents, she knew that. It was her appearance. The ivory color of her hair, bright like snow. The dark ruby eyes. The two traits only succeeded in highlighting eachother. She was pretty sure most of the village children were terrified of her.

Choji's house was decently sized, as any house of the head of a clan would be. She wondered briefly what Tamotsu's house might've looked like before Shikamaru opened the door and ushered her inside.  
She had barely placed her shoes beside the door before a large woman with short brown hair came running towards them.  
"You must be Mizure! Oh, I've heard a lot about you sweetheart!" she said, enveloping her in a tight hug before Mizure had a chance to escape.  
"Hello. Lovely to meet you," Mizure answered, struggling to keep her voice level despite being crushed against the soft woman. She finally released her, turning away as Mizure stumbled back, righted by a grinning Shikamaru.  
"I would have welcomed you into Konoha earlier, but I've been so busy! Anyway, make yourself at home dear," she chirped before hurrying off, leaving Mizure's head spinning. She gave Shikamaru a quizical glance over her shoulder. He only shook his head and laughed, giving her shoulder a squeeze before finally releasing her.

Eventually she wandered into the what she assumed was the dining room. Various foods were set out, and there were a few people sitting around a square table in the center of the room. One of which was Ino Yamanaka.  
_'Yamanaka. Harmless as long as you're mobile,'_ Rue's words rang in her ears. But, as the blonde spotted her, a friendly smile broke out and she waved her over.  
Mizure suddenly wasn't so sure about the harmless part as she took a seat beside her. Ino twisted herself toward her and folded her into a bone crushing hug to rival Mrs. Akimichi's, squeeling all the while.  
"I'm glad you're here. Mizure right? It's great to have another girl my age show up. I think originally this was supposed to be a small get together to celebrate Shikamaru becoming a Chunin, but it's just like Mrs. A to kill two birds with one stone," she rambled. Mizure tried to keep up with her as she jumped from topi to topic, but it wasn't proving to be easy. True, she had experience from Naruto, but he was so..._predictable._  
_'Come to think of it, up until this point, I've only had ongoing conversations with guys. Is this what it's like to be in female company?'_ Mizure wondered to herself.  
Finally Shikamaru, who had been watching the whole time, took pity on her and called her over to where he was standing.  
"Excuse me," she said once Ino had paused for a breath. She stood up, probably faster than she should have, she realized too late. She shook the tense feeling from her body as she approached Shikamaru.  
"Thank you," she breathed.  
"She's not so bad once you get to know her. If you can put up with Naruto being your neighbor, it'll be a breeze," he grinned, and she laughed in response. "Anyway, this is Choji. You haven't officially met right?" he asked, placing a hand on the chubby boy's shoulder.  
For once, he wasn't snacking on anything, which made it much less messy when he reached for her hand.  
"Hi, I'm Mizure," she said, feeling much too formal. So she smiled brightly, and leaned in for a half-hug, more casual but not so intimate as to put him off.  
She decided, however, that that might not have been the best approach when she pulled back to find Choji, blushing like mad and frozen in what she assumed was shock. It didn't make it better when she surveyed the room to find Mrs. Akimicha had appeared from nowhere and was staring a her intently, and Ino's mouth open in a gaping manner.  
"U-uh, was that n-not okay? I'm not really used t-to..." she started.  
"Oh of course! Shikamaru told me all about that terrible place you came from! Naturally, you wouldn't be used to human interaction," she cooed, making it sound like Mizure had been living with wolves for the past 12 years.  
"I'm sure Choji didn't mind dear. He's such a sweet boy," she continued. Mizure chanced another glance at him. His face was beet red, and for a moment she wondered whether or not he was still breathing.  
"Now go sit down for dinner," she commanded. Mizure did as she was told, resuming her seat beside Ino and breathing a sigh of relief when Shikamaru took the seat across from her. Choji sat next to him, desperately trying to avoid eye contact with her.

"Was the hug really that much of a deal?" Mizure asked Shikamaru once they'd gained distance from the Akimichi residence.  
"Nah, he was just embarrassed because he knew his mom would make a big deal out of it. Woulda been worse if his dad was there," he chuckled.  
"Plus he's never been hugged by a girl," Ino chimed in, smirking. Mizure barked out a laugh.  
"His mom..."  
"Doesn't count. You have so much to learn! Thank goodness I'm here to teach you," Ino interrupted. Mizure scowled. She disliked how women were treating her. Like she was a toddler, or socially retarded. Sure, human interaction at the Academy consisted mostly of sparring, but she knew enough to deal with other people.  
As they came nearer to the apartment complex she lived in, a blonde figure sitting beside her door became noticeable. He was crouched down, as though in pain, with his head in his hands. The trio stopped in their tracks.  
"You should go," Mizure whispered. They didn't argue, simply nodded and turned on their heels.  
As she advanced on him, his distress became even more apparant. She bent down beside him, not even daring to reach for him.  
"Are you okay?" she tentatively asked. He shook his head, face still buried in his hands. "Is Sasuke okay?" she asked. He hesitated minutely before shrugging in response. "Naruto...what's the matter?" she asked softly, placing a delicate hand on his shoulder. She finally noticed the rips in his jacket and pants, the healing scratches on his face and arms. Her brows furrowed, suddenly knowing exactly what had taken place.  
He finally lifted his head, and she flinched, expecting to see tears. Instead, she witnessed pure rage. She would have snatched her hand back if not for Naruto raising his own to keep it firmly in place.  
"He really doesn't see me as his equal Mizu," he whispered hoarsely. His quivering voice betrayed his hardened eyes.  
"Naruto, you're not Sasuke's equal," she told him. The hold on her hand loosened, and a look of betrayel flitted across his features. "You're stronger. I've never met anybody with determination like yours. The ability to witness injustice after injustice, to lose everything, but not lose yourself. You have potential that Sasuke used up long ago," she finished.  
Each paused, gauging the other. Then, with a quick motion, he snapped his arm back, dragging her with it. She found herself clinging to his jacket, and he pressed one hand against her back, securing her to him. It was an odd sort of hug, like being wrapped in fury. She told herself that it was nothing but a show of gratitude on his part, and that he was just as socially awkward as she was. Neither of them knew how to respond in a situation like this.  
So she just sat on the ground in front of him, not quite on his lap, and let him squeeze her. It hurt, but his anger seemed to ebb as she slowly hugged him back. This hug meant so much more to her than he thought.

And it was in that way that Mizure fell in love with the idiot. It was then that she decided she wanted more moments like that one, and she'd do anything to receive such affection. Even play protector.


	16. Decisions

**Ok, so this is a short story regarding one of Mizure's earliest ancestors, Tamotsu Akane. I'll be doing a few more of these, counting down the line every few regular chapters until we get to Mizure's family sometime during Shippuden. I'm hoping you'll learn a lot more about her this way. They'll be pretty short, but entertaining and informative. Since it is set in the past, it will be in Italic. Because I said so, that's why. Enjoy~**

_A man with long brown hair sat at the water's edge, staring into the river with bright red eyes. Beside him lay a small, gurgling bundle. An infant small enough to fit in the crook of his arm just so gazed up at him with his own set of red eyes._  
_"Ah, Shisu. What am I to do?" he asked the infant, as he pulled the child into his arms and cradled him close._  
_"My son. I only want what is best for you. What is best for everyone. But how am I to do that? How do I know?" he inquired, staring into his son's eyes adoringly. The boy was new born, but already was an exact copy of his father, head of their clan. He had light brown hair, wispy at the ends, but already thick at the top. His red eyes mirrored his father's so that he couldn't be sure if he was seeing Shisu's eyes, or a reflection of his own. His small, pale body was wrapped in a white blanket bearing the clan's symbol on it; a red circle surrounded by four black triangles, all pointing to the center._  
_"Tamotsu. Certainly you don't expect our son to know the answers to these questions," a soft voice said from behind him. He turned smiling as the slender form of his wife sashayed over to him, her long blonde hair swaying with each step._  
_"Of course not. But who better to ask than the future of the clan himself?" he chuckled as she sat daintily beside him, folding her knees under her._  
_"He can't even speak yet, darling. And even if he could, how should he answer when the current clan leader does not?" she reasoned, resting a small hand on his shoulder._  
_"I know that dear. But who can I ask? I only want what is best for my clan, and for my family. Hashirama is an old friend of mine, but how can I help him build a Shinobi village when there is constant fueding amongst it's inhabitants? And Nazomi...she is dependable, honest. I would trust her with my life, but the ones she travels with are less than honorable."_  
_"My love, it is not for me to decide," she stated softly, lifting her hand to trail over his hair, playing with the strands absent mindedly._  
_"Have you not heard me then woman? This is for you," he repeated. It had been a hell of a decision to even travel this far. He'd made the choice to stray away from their home in the mountains, which were becoming a war zone. He had uprooted his entire clan, and that was his own verdict._  
_"I can't do this alone," he murmured, twisting around to cup her heart shaped face in the palm of his large hand. _  
_"You're never alone," she laughed. He might never get tired of her laugh. _  
_"That is true. You are never far. But, what I want is for you to be by my side, Kiyoko. You are forever in the background, whispering suggestions. This will impact many people's lives. For once, tell me what to do," he pleaded with her._  
_She placed a slim finger to her lips, as though in thought._  
_"You are right. There is constant fighting between Hashirama and Madara. But you have always been there to stand between them once their blades are at each other's throats. Nazomi...she has the purest intentions. And yet, she is so naive. She wants only peace, something that cannot possibly be achieved. She does not understand the complexity of life. We can trust her, but not those who guide her," Kiyoko concluded solemnly._  
_Tamotsu grinned and took her hand, placing a chaste kiss to her knuckles._  
_"I knew I didn't just marry you for your beauty," he teased. She slapped him playfully, then moved to take the babe in his arms who, upon hearing his mother's voice, had begun to squirm uncontrollably._  
_"Hush, Kawayui," she cooed. _  
_"Our life in Konoha is sure to be blissful. My people will be safe there. I'll inform Hashirama in the morning," Tamotsu decided. Standing, he helped his wife up, gazing proudly at his perfect family; and hoping he wasn't making a terrible mistake._

___**Kawayui- **_**It means something along the lines of 'precious' and is used as a nickname in this case. It's similar to the well known 'Kawaii.' **


End file.
